Police pinpoint unit by filming building exterior

Aggravated assault charges applied

Police [Yonhap]
Police [Yonhap]

A woman in her 30s who repeatedly threw dishes and glass cups from a high-rise apartment in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, has been arrested following an intensive police investigation.

Pyeongtaek Police Station announced Sunday that it had apprehended the woman, identified only as A, on aggravated assault charges.

A is accused of throwing ceramic dishes and glass cups out of her apartment unit in Godeok-dong, Pyeongtaek, four to five times between Monday and Saturday, when she was taken into custody at around 3 p.m.

No injuries were reported, but authorities said the falling objects posed a serious risk to pedestrians below.

The apartment management office posted a notice for residents on Tuesday, informing them of the incidents and urging caution when passing through the area.

After receiving the first report on Monday, police set up a police line around the landing zone to keep residents away, stepped up patrols and began tracking the origin point of the thrown objects based on where they had fallen.

The task proved difficult, however, as the building stands dozens of stories tall and no closed-circuit television cameras were positioned to capture the throwing.

Anticipating another incident over the weekend, officers set up a tripod at the scene from around 9 a.m. Saturday and continuously filmed the building's exterior with a mobile phone. During that surveillance, another object was caught on camera falling from the building, allowing police to pinpoint the unit.

Officers who entered the unit found items similar to those that had been thrown earlier.

A admitted to throwing the objects during police questioning, saying she had been under a great deal of stress, according to investigators.

Police determined that A posed a risk of reoffending and, taking her health condition into account, arranged for her emergency hospitalization with the cooperation of her guardian. Officers said they could not disclose details of her medical history.


jiyun@heraldcorp.com