Modern life is so convenient; you can shop online, order food from apps, and someone will deliver it all directly to your door. But a few Tuanjiehu residents, and the police cavalry subsequently assigned to save them, got a less than convenient and all the more scary experience this weekend.
On Sunday, June 26, three girls ordered food to their place on Tuanjiehu Lu, and just after noon a 20-something-year-old delivery man turned up. Upon opening the door, one of the three girls was taken as hostage at knifepoint by the delivery man, but luckily the other two girls were able to call the police immediately. That being said, the police got to the scene around 20 minutes after the calls and were able to rescue the hostage and subdue the suspect. Two policemen were injured during the scuffle, China Daily reports.
According to Beijing Youth Daily, the criminal suspect is a 23-year-old from Baoding, and it is believed that he had attempted to rob the girls because of a previous car accident that he had had with a Mercedes-Benz, which he was deemed responsible for. He was ordered to pay more than RMB 10,000 in compensation to the owner of the Benz. The suspect said that upon remembering the news about a criminal who was shot dead by the police during an attempt to take hostages, he had basically entered the apartment with a death wish.
It goes to show that despite the convenience of ordering food in Beijing, you can never be too careful when it turns up.
This story originally appeared on the website of our sister publication, The Beijinger.
Photos: ifeng, Beijing Youth Daily, Global Times
