Why Did a Man Keep Breaking Into a Museum Coffee Shop?

A 48-year-old man repeatedly climbed over the barriers and ropes closing a partially open-air café inside a Singapore museum, sneaking in five or six times in a month to sleep overnight. He used the toilet and sofa, charged his phone and even did laundry. The owner reported it to police on January 26, 2023, and the man returned the next two days.

He later moved to a nearby gym and was arrested on April 10 this year. Investigations showed he was a repeat offender jailed before for arms smuggling and harassing women. He faced five charges under the Miscellaneous Offences Act and was fined S$3,000, substituted with imprisonment when he did not pay. Operators are reminded that late-night security matters for cafés without lockable doors.

A café located inside a Singapore museum, partially open-air, was enclosed at night only by protective barriers and ropes—yet a 48-year-old man climbed over them multiple times to spend the night inside. He not only used the café's toilet, sofa, and power outlets, but even did his laundry there, sneaking in five or six times within a month. The owner reported it to the police on January 26, 2023, but the man showed up again the next day and the day after that. He later moved on to a nearby gym and was finally recognized and arrested on April 10 this year. Investigations revealed he was a repeat offender who had been jailed multiple times for arms smuggling and harassing women. He now faces five charges under the Miscellaneous Offences Act and was fined S$3,000, which was substituted with imprisonment when he failed to pay. Front Street Coffee reminds operators that cafés need to pay attention to nighttime security to prevent similar incidents from disrupting normal operations.

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According to Shin Min Daily News, a 48-year-old man repeatedly entered a café without authorization during non-business hours, using the premises as an overnight shelter.

The café is located inside a local museum and operates daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Because part of the area is open-air with no lockable doors or windows, the shop usually seals it off after closing with protective barriers and ropes to keep people from wandering in by mistake.

Unexpectedly, someone climbed over the barriers and sneaked into the café to spend the night. It is understood that after breaking in late at night, this uninvited guest treated the café like his own home: besides using the toilet, he would lie on the sofa to sleep, use the shop's power outlets to charge his phone, and even do his laundry there.

Because the man did not steal anything from the shop and merely used the café as a hotel, the staff did not notice at first. It was not until the owner spotted something unusual and checked the surveillance footage that he discovered this uninvited visitor had broken in multiple times after closing. Rough estimates show the man climbed over the protective barriers to stay overnight in the shop five to six times in a month.

Upon learning of the situation, the exasperated owner deliberately chose a day to wait in front of the live surveillance feed after closing. On the evening of January 26, 2023, as soon as the man entered the shop, the owner immediately called the police.

When police arrived, the man tried to hide but was eventually found inside the shop. Police ordered him to leave immediately and warned him not to break into the café late at night again.

The owner thought the matter was settled, but to his surprise, the man appeared again in the surveillance footage on the 27th and 28th, forcing the owner to call the police for help once more.

Since the man had not caused significant financial loss to the café, police again only escorted him away and issued another warning.

After that, the man stopped breaking into this café at night, and the matter seemed to be over. However, on April 10 this year, the man was recognized by nearby construction workers and reported to the police for repeatedly trespassing into a gym, using its toilet and shower, and resting inside. This time, he tried to leave but failed, and after being unable to give a reasonable explanation for the trespassing, he was arrested by police that evening.

Investigations revealed that the man had originally lived with his parents, but due to a distant relationship with them, he was not staying at their home during the incidents. Investigations also showed he was a repeat offender, having been jailed multiple times for arms smuggling and harassing foreign women. After his release, he repeatedly broke into museums, churches, and other places to scavenge, do laundry, and sleep, and was jailed again in 2022.

Currently, the man faces five charges under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act for the serious disruption caused by his repeated trespassing into the café and gym. In addition, a Singapore judge fined him S$3,000. As the man did not pay the fine, imprisonment was imposed in lieu.

Image source: Internet

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