Domestic helper, 35, arrested after allegedly wielding knife in Tampines dispute, possibly linked to relationship
A 35-year-old domestic helper was arrested after she was found holding a knife during an altercation with another helper in Tampines on March 22.
The incident occurred at around 11.30am at the second-floor stairwell of Block 739 Tampines Street 72.
A Shin Min Daily News reader, Mrs Chen, said she heard shouting from below her unit and walked over to check. She saw a woman squatting on the floor and crying. Numerous police officers were also at the scene.
Neixi (transliteration), a 75-year-old resident who lives on the same floor, told Shin Min he and his wife also heard an argument coming from the stairwell.
When his wife went to investigate, she saw two women engaged in a heated argument.
One of them was reportedly holding a small knife, but did not brandish it or injure anyone.
In response to Stomp’s queries, the police said they were alerted to the incident at about 11.30am and found a woman holding a knife along a corridor.
She was subsequently disarmed and arrested for carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.
According to the police, the 35-year-old woman was conscious when she was taken to the hospital.
Separately, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said one person was conveyed to Changi General Hospital.
According to Shin Min, the woman had resisted arrest before she was eventually subdued.
The other domestic helper, who lives on the second floor, returned to her employer’s home after the incident.
Pair had known each other for months
Mr Neixi said he often greeted the helper and described her as friendly. He had also seen the two women chatting near the stairwell on several occasions.
The two domestic helpers are believed to have known each other for more than six months, and their dispute may have involved a romantic relationship.
When Shin Min revisited the block on the afternoon of the incident, the helper was seen caring for two children in her unit.
Speaking to reporters, the helper’s employer confirmed she was not injured, adding that the arrested woman lives in another block.
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