Man digging with hoe near Ang Mo Kio HDB mistaken for threat, police called
The man was burying a turtle.
A man digging soil with a hoe near an HDB block in Ang Mo Kio alarmed residents on Sept 2, with some mistaking the tool for an axe. Police officers were called to investigate what turned out to be a misunderstanding.
A concerned reader, Mr Xu, told Shin Min Daily News, that he saw multiple police vehicles and officers at the open-air carpark in front of Block 609, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, at around 7pm.
"I didn't know exactly what was going on, but later I heard from a neighbour that a man was seen walking around downstairs with an axe. It seemed like something serious had happened," he said, describing the atmosphere as tense.
Photos provided by Mr Xu showed police officers inspecting metal burners near the carpark. Lit joss sticks and boxes of offerings on a nearby grass patch added to the eerie atmosphere, as the Hungry Ghost Festival was ongoing.
Another resident told Shin Min reporters he saw a man digging a hole at a grassy area near the burner around 6pm but chose not to interfere.
"The man's behavior was quite strange. He was using a hoe to carefully dig a square-shaped hole in the grass. I assumed he was performing some kind of ritual, so I didn't approach him," the resident said.
"When I returned home around 8pm, the police had arrived, but the man was already gone."
Reporters noted that the hole had since been filled in the next day, though traces of freshly packed soil remained visible.
Burying a turtle, not causing trouble
It was later revealed that the man had been burying a turtle.
According to a resident who observed the situation from a corridor above, he saw a turtle shell left on the grass patch and believed the man had dug the hole for the burial.
"The shell had very unique patterns. It didn't look like a common local species, which left a strong impression on me," the resident said.
Wildlife rescue personnel reportedly arrived later to retrieve the remains.
As for the joss sticks and offerings near the burner, Mr Xu clarified they were left by another resident for the Hungry Ghost Festival and had nothing to do with the man in question.
The New Paper has reached out to the police for comment.