Man allegedly throws curry powder at victim after robbing her
Robber also allegedly threw curry powder in her face after taking her mobile phone and handbag
He followed her into the lift and stood behind her.
Once the lift doors closed and the lift started moving, he allegedly whipped out a knife and punched her in the face.
The elderly woman collapsed to the ground, begged for her life and said: "Take what you want, please just don't hurt me."
After taking her handbag and mobile phone, he allegedly took out a jar of curry powder from his bag and threw the powder in her face.
The incident, which took place at about 7.50pm on Friday, left the woman so traumatised, she no longer dares to take the lift alone.
"Now I make sure there is a familiar face in the lift before I go in," she told The New Paper on Sunday in Mandarin.
The woman, 62, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal, said her husband had dropped her off at the foot of their Lorong 7, Toa Payoh block so she could get home first to prepare dinner.
She was about to take the lift to her HDB flat on the 21st storey when a man clad in a black cap, spectacles and brown bermudas followed her into the lift, she said.
When she asked him which storey he was heading to, he reached over and pressed the button for the 24th storey.
KNIFE
After the doors closed, he took out a knife, which had a 10cm blade, pointed it at her and punched her with his other hand.
"I really didn't see it coming. He just took out the knife and before I knew it, he attacked me," said the woman who suffered a cut on her cheek.
She surrendered her iPhone 6 Plus, her handbag containing $80 cash and a packet of food for fear of her safety, she said.
"When I asked him if I could have my home keys, he opened my bag and allowed me to take them," she said.
She remained in the lift even when it reached the 21st storey because she did not dare to move. The lift then went up to the 24th storey and the man allegedly took out a jar of curry powder from his bag, opened it and threw the content at the woman.
"He wanted to blind me. The powder didn't go into my eyes but when it came into contact with the wound on my face, it stung," she said.
He was about to throw more powder at her when the lift went back down to the 23rd storey. As soon as the doors opened, she ran out of the lift.
"I saw the silhouette of someone waiting for the lift and I took the chance to escape," said the woman.
A male neighbour, 26, was waiting for the lift when he saw her run out of the lift, screaming that she had been robbed.
The neighbour told Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao that he saw the alleged robber turn to face him before quickly pressing the button to close the lift doors.
The victim told TNPS: "I have been living here for 15 years and this has never happened before. I am very afraid now."
Police are investigating the case.
"He wanted to blind me. The powder didn't go into my eyes but when it came into contact with the wound on my face, it stung."
- Victim of robbery
Have you seen him?
Police are looking for a man (above) to assist with investigations on the armed robbery with hurt on Friday evening at Block 10, Lorong 7, Toa Payoh.
The bespectacled man was last seen wearing a black cap and long-sleeved T-shirt with a pair of light brown bermudas.
Anyone with information should call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or go to www.police.gov.sg/CrimeStopper
All information will be kept strictly confidential.
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