Pregnant woman about to give birth sneaks into hotel to steal money from foreigners in Vinh city

On the morning of December 13, Vinh City Police returned all assets including foreign currency and cash to a foreign man who had them stolen more than a month ago while staying at Sao Mai 3 Hotel, 3/2 Avenue, Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City.

Vinh City Police returned property to Mr. Dal Maso Guido. Photo: Huu Trong

The subject of the property theft is Pham Thi Phu (41 years old), residing in Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town. From 1997 to 2013, Phu committed 7 cases of property theft and received nearly 17 years in prison.

Previously, on November 10, after receiving a report of property loss from Mr. Dal Maso Guido (59 years old), Italian nationality, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Cuong - Deputy Head of the Investigation Police Agency of Vinh City Police, mobilized all experienced detectives and investigators to urgently investigate, hotly pursue, and arrest the subject of property theft.

Considering that the suspect was likely from another locality, the three reconnaissance teams were divided into three areas including Vinh City, Cua Lo Town and Nghi Loc District. Special attention was paid to suspects with criminal records, theft, drug addiction, and unstable jobs.

After 3 weeks of investigation and screening of nearly 100 suspects, the detectives found Pham Thi Phu to be suspicious. On November 12, the Vinh City Police Department summoned Pham Thi Phu for clarification. There, realizing her criminal behavior, Phu surrendered and confessed to her crime.

Subject Pham Thi Phu when arrested.

Phu confessed: At around 0:30 a.m. on November 10, 2018, Phu called a taxi from his house to Sao Mai 3 Hotel, 3/2 Avenue, Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City to steal property. At around 1:30 a.m., Phu walked up the floors of Sao Mai 3 Hotel to commit the crime. When he arrived at room 507 (5th floor), he saw that the door was not closed, so Phu sneaked into the room. Seeing a foreign man lying on the bed, asleep, and a pair of long pants on the sofa, suspecting that there was money, Phu reached in and searched.

At the same time, the guest coughed, Phu immediately pretended to be a cleaning staff and went into the bathroom to clean. A moment later, seeing the guest lying still, Phu returned to take the leather wallet from his pants, opened it and found 500 USD, 700 Euro, 10,000 Thai baht and 2.8 million VND.

Phu took all the money and foreign currency, put the leather wallet back in his pants, then took a taxi back home in Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town.

Phu sold the stolen foreign currency to a gold and silver shop in Vinh city. Phu used the cash for daily expenses and personal shopping.

Currently, Vinh City Police have handed over the entire case file to the Provincial Police Investigation Agency according to their authority. As for Pham Thi Phu, who is in the final stages of pregnancy, the Investigation Agency has applied the measure of local bail but prohibiting her from leaving her place of residence.