Police of Ha Dong District in Hanoi have detained a 24-year-old man for allegedly shattering the windows of nine parked cars to steal valuables left inside on Monday.

The suspect was identified as Thai Van Quang, hailing from the northern province of Thai Binh, a local police official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

Quang confessed to police officers that he packed a hammer, a pair of gloves, and a raincoat into his backpack at around 8:00 pm on June 16 before going to a cybercafe in the Khuat Duy Tien - Nguyen Trai Intersection area in Thanh Xuan District, where he used Internet services until 11:30 pm the same day.

Then, he stole a pair of sandals left outside a home when he was walking toward Ha Dong District.

As the man was approaching the Van Quan urban area in Ha Dong, he put on the raincoat to avoid being detected.

He began smashing the windows of two parked cars near the CT8 apartment building complex in the area to steal the assets left inside.

His action triggered the car alarm system, forcing him to quickly flee the scene.

Quang continued to break the windows of two other cars parked behind a nearby stadium but still failed to grab any assets inside.

He later returned to the Van Quan urban area to keep smashing the windows of other parked cars.

The suspect admitted that he had stolen a white power bank, a box of hair wax, and a small sum of cash.

However, one of the affected car owners claimed that they lost over VND18 million (US$707) worth of cash put inside their car.

After smashing the windows of the nine parked cars, Quang wandered along many streets, changing his outfit and taking a bus ride to a charity eatery where he was working and was given temporary accommodation.

A police report showed that Quang earlier married a teacher but he subsequently left his home for Hanoi due to family conflicts.

A few months ago, he roamed around Tan Trieu Commune of Thanh Tri District in suburban Hanoi before seeking for a job in the charity eatery.

As he struggled to make ends meet by working at the eatery, the man began stealing things from others.

On Monday morning, local police were notified that the windows of nine cars parked in front of the CT8A and CT8B apartment building complexes, located in the Van Quan urban area, were smashed.

All of the affected cars were parked on the sidewalks where authorized parking services are unavailable, said a police leader of Ha Dong.

Following this car window smash-and-grab incident, the police agency advised car owners to park their vehicles in licensed parking lots to ensure the safety of their assets.

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