A toy consignment shop inside a Mong Kok mall was vandalized with black paint on Christmas Eve, with a masked suspect fleeing the scene.
Police were called to Sino Centre on Nathan Road at about 8pm after reports that a "grid shop" on the second floor had been splashed with black paint. The case is being treated as criminal damage, with officers searching for the masked perpetrator.
The male shop owner, in his 40s, was reportedly splashed with paint during the incident. He complained of feeling unwell and was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital for treatment.
Images from the scene showed paint stains across the shop's display cabinets and the mall's floor. Police conducted an investigation and collected evidence, while mall management placed barriers to keep shoppers away from the area.
By 10pm, the affected shop had closed its shutters and the mall floor had been cleaned, though a promotional banner outside the shop still bore black paint stains.
A staff member from a neighboring shop said the store owner was present during the attack and attempted to stop the vandal but failed, with paint also splattering onto the owner's clothing.
The shop's social media page indicates it opened in early February 2023. One of the grid tenants commented online with resignation, saying "it's over," but added: "Business was already quiet, so as long as no one was seriously hurt, that's some relief."
