A disturbing event recently unfolded on Arab Street involving a 26-year-old Chinese national named Xu Chaoyu. He has been charged in court after he allegedly attacked a four-year-old Indonesian boy with a wine bottle. This shocking incident happened last Friday afternoon, on June 20, right outside a café along Arab Street.
The young boy, was sitting peacefully with his family outside the café. They were visiting Singapore on holiday from Jakarta. Without any clear reason, a man, identified as Xu Chaoyu, allegedly smashed him on the head with a wine bottle. After the boy was allegedly hit, his father immediately tried to fight off the attacker, but he was “kept falling” during the struggle.
He was so upset and scared by what happened that he vomited after being brought inside the café. The café staff also mentioned to Shin Min Daily News the next day that they had called for an ambulance for the boy and brought the family inside to rest. They confirmed that the child suffered injuries on his forehead. The boy’s father also got hurt while trying to defend his son, as an employee from a nearby souvenir shop mentioned. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also confirmed they received a call for help around 1:30 PM on June 20 at 56 Arab Street.
Members of the public bravely stepped in to stop the man. While they were waiting for the police to arrive, the man was reportedly “heard laughing to himself.” Suddenly, the man was seen reaching into a small pouch next to him. The person recording a video of the incident became very worried when they saw he was taking out a knife. After a short struggle with the person recording and the other men, they managed to grab the bag away from him and pull out the knife, showing it to everyone around. Two men then held the suspect’s arms behind his back until the police arrived. The police then secured the area for their investigation, which lasted until about 5 PM.
Xu Chaoyu, the 26-year-old Chinese national, was formally charged in court on Saturday, June 21. He is accused of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place without a good reason. According to the court papers, he was found with a 32cm-long kitchen knife in a public place on Friday, and later with a 30cm-long vegetable knife along Arab Street. The @sgfollowsall Instagram post, which shared details of the incident, also mentioned that Xu’s parents later came to the scene and were shocked to find out he had a knife in his bag. On top of the weapon charge, Xu is also suspected of having stayed in Singapore for up to 49 days after his social visit pass had expired.
