Tattoo artist denies role in daycare break-in despite video evidence

Claiming innocence despite video evidence allegedly showing him committing the crime, 38-year-old tattoo artist Nicholas Choy once again found himself before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, this time begging for bail and denying all involvement in a brazen break-in at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) daycare and preschool.

Choy, of Lot 168 Robb Street, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh, where he faced a charge of break-and-enter and larceny.
He is accused of breaking into the YWCA building at Lot 106 Croal Street on May 12, 2025, and stealing a series of items valued at $277,200. These include a microwave, industrial fan, double-bed mattresses, a water dispenser, a JBL speaker, a garbage bin, school supplies, and other household items.
Under Section 229A of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01, the charge carries significant penalties upon conviction. Still, Choy, who appeared virtually, insisted that the entire ordeal was a mistake and pleaded fervently for bail.
However, the prosecution, responding to the bail plea, firmly opposed his release, citing strong video evidence. When asked by the Magistrate whether the footage had been reviewed, the investigating rank confirmed that the footage clearly captured Choy inside the YWCA premises. According to the prosecution, not only was he seen removing the stolen items, but he was also captured taking a bath in one of the rooms, footage that included a close-up view of his face.
Confronted with this damning evidence, Choy doubled down on his denial. “The person in the video don’t look like me,” he insisted. “That person don’t have tattoos”
Despite Choy’s protestations, Magistrate Singh told him the court would determine whether the individual in the footage was him when the video is played at the next hearing. “If we play the video and the person is you, then we would consider,” she said.
Bail was ultimately denied, and Choy was remanded to prison until June 20, when the court is expected to view the surveillance footage.
The current charge is not Choy’s first encounter with the law. He was previously charged in February 2022 for a break-in at the corner of Albert and Charlotte streets in Georgetown, where he allegedly stole items valued at $460,000 from a parked vehicle belonging to Bhesham Persaud.
CCTV footage had placed Choy at the scene of that theft as well, alongside other unidentified individuals.
In the present case, during his first court appearance on May 16, Choy had also proclaimed his innocence before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty.
He had said that he merely encountered a “junkie” walking with a garbage bin and that when he questioned the man about the bin, the man fled, leaving it behind, just as police arrived and arrested him.
“I didn’t break in nowhere,” Choy had said then. “I come home from work. I work on America Street doing tattoos.”
At that hearing, the prosecution stated that video footage captured him not just stealing the items but also using the facilities at the daycare. They further disclosed that some of the stolen items were recovered in Choy’s possession, though he tried to explain away that fact by claiming he only had the garbage bin and didn’t know what was inside.
Despite his continued claims of mistaken identity, and appeals for leniency due to his financial responsibilities, the strength of the video evidence appears to be a significant barrier to his release, as Choy remains on remand while the case continues.