A woman in Thailand has been arrested and charged with attempted murder for cutting the support rope of two painters working at a high-rise condominium. The woman, who was a resident of the high-rise building, left the painters holding on for their lives on the 26th floor.
The two painters were eventually rescued by a couple who also lived in the same building. Apart from attempted murder, the woman is also now facing property destruction charges.
Police Colonel Pongjak Preechakarunpong, chief of the Pak Kret police station, did not say what the motive behind the woman's actions was. However, witnesses said she may have become angry because she was not told that there would be work done on the building.
Two painters were seen on videos posted on social media asking residents on the 26th floor to open the window and to let them in. One of the painters, Song, a Myanmar national, told reporters that he and two friends descended from the 32nd floor after being commissioned to repair a crack in the building.
A 34-year-old woman in central Thailand faced an attempted murder charge after she allegedly cut a safety line rope being used by two workers on a condominium. The woman has denied the allegations.
Ms. #huntersafetylinemansrope #muddysafetylineropehttps://t.co/soWu00jMC2 — CTN News (@chiangraitimes) October 28, 2021
Song said that he noticed something was not right with the tension of the ropes. He then noticed a woman on the 21st floor open the window and cut some of the ropes supporting him and his fellow painter. While dangling from the unstable support ropes, Song said he knocked on several windows asking for help. The third person, who was on top of the building, did everything he could to support their weight.
Praphaiwan Setsing, one of the residents that helped the painters, said her husband had noticed the dangling painters who were signaling for help outside their window. She added that she was shocked that someone could do that and such an incident "should not happen at all."
The building's management accompanied the painters in going to the police to make a report. The woman accused of cutting the ropes initially denied that she was guilty or involved in the incident when the police visited her. After investigators determined that she was indeed the one that cut the ropes, she was then visited again by police.
The suspect was arrested and charged but was later released temporarily. Police said they will be filing an indictment at a provincial court over the next few weeks. If she is found guilty of attempted murder, the woman could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
