A 19-year-old teen in Singapore pleaded guilty to multiple charges on 8 Apr 2025, including theft, housebreaking, and causing grievous hurt through negligence.
The youth, whose identity remains protected under the law as he was only 17 years old when committing some of the offenses, had already been out on bail when he committed additional crimes.
In March 2023, the teen recklessly rode an electric bicycle in Sengkang, colliding with two pedestrians and causing them to suffer serious fractures.
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This incident marked the beginning of his string of offenses that would continue over the next year.
A few months later, on 26 Jul 2023, he climbed over a fence along Sims Avenue, broke into a shop during off-hours, and stole a radio-controlled toy car worth about S$3,000.
After stealing the toy car, he took it to Geylang, where he played with it in the middle of the road.
The teen later discovered through Instagram that the shop owner had posted CCTV footage showing his image, which prompted his next actions.
Teen Returns Damaged Toy Car And Steals Four Vehicles, Including Porsche
Worried about being identified from the CCTV footage, the youth returned to the shop the following day around 3:30 AM and left the toy car outside the premises.
He included a handwritten note apologizing for the theft and asking the owner to settle the matter “privately” rather than involving authorities.
“(The teenager) also left a contact number, but had intentionally changed the last two digits so that the shop owner would not be able to actually call him,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo stated during court proceedings.
When the shop owner retrieved the toy car, he discovered it had been damaged during the teen’s use.
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The repair costs for the damaged toy car totaled approximately S$960, adding financial loss to the business owner.
Despite already being under investigation for these prior incidents, the teen proceeded to commit additional offenses in July 2024.
He stole four vehicles from Kim Chuan Drive – two Honda cars, a BMW, and a Porsche – on separate occasions during the month.
The court heard that the youth found some of the cars unlocked with their keys still inside the ignition.
Despite not having a driving license or proper training, he drove the vehicles around Singapore and even gave a friend rides home on two separate occasions.
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After his joyrides, he returned three of the stolen cars to Kim Chuan Drive, where he had initially taken them from.
The fourth vehicle, the Porsche, was abandoned in Defu Lane when the teen could not restart it after it stalled.
On 8 Apr 2025, the court called for reports to assess the teenager’s suitability for probation and reformative training before deciding on appropriate sentencing.
Young offenders ordered to undergo reformative training are detained in a specialized center where they follow a strict routine that may include foot drills and counseling sessions aimed at rehabilitation.
The court will deliver the final sentence for all charges in May.
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