Friendly hello leads to a merciless beating

A case of mistaken identity saw a 23-year-old attacked in the capital on Saturday when he touched the head of a stranger, thinking it was his friend. Police said the victim’s faux pas occurred in Russei Keo district when he greeted the man in a tactile manner from behind. The infuriated recipient of said touching called his friends, and the posse proceeded to pummel the friendly victim. Police caught two of the group, who were sent to court, while the rest escaped.  Deum Ampil

Awkward encounter fast turns to marital melee

Things tend to get awkward when your new wife runs into your old wife at the market. They can also often get violent. Such was the case on Sunday when two women met in Banteay Meanchey’s Poipet city, with their shared lover in tow. An argument inevitably arose and the women were soon at one another’s throats. Police had to separate the pair and the current wife has filed a complaint against the ex-wife for attacking her.  Deum Ampil

Poor driving skills led to petty thieve’s arrest

A 32-year-old was arrested after he pinched a car’s side mirror in Kampong Chhnang town on Monday. Police said that he and a friend were drug users and were spotted by officers after nicking the mirror from a parked car outside the owner’s house. They panicked and fled on a moto, only to tumble off as they tried to evade the cops. One of them managed to escape, while the other was caught and was packed off to court.  Koh Santepheap

Gang beating victim unaware of motives

A 32-year-old was almost beaten to death on Sunday after he was attacked by 10 gangsters in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district. Police said the man was returning from the pagoda when he was jumped by the masked men who attacked him using their fists and rocks. He claimed not to know why he had been picked for the vicious assault. Police are looking into the case while the man recovers in hospital. Koh Santepheap

Robbers spill the beans after necklace snatch

Female thieves in blotter chronicles are rare, though two Kampong Cham women did their part to reverse that trend when they snatched a farm owner’s necklace on Wednesday. Though the pair escaped into the vegetation after the snatch-and-grab, police managed to catch them and elicit a confession.  Kampuchea Thmey

Translated by Sen David