15-year-old boy robs taxi driver

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): A 15-year-old boy was thrashed by angry residents near the Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) housing complex, Serpong, yesterday morning after he tried to rob a taxi driver.

Rofei, 27, a President Taxi driver, told reporters at the Tangerang General Hospital that the teenager, Herbiansyah, stopped his taxi in front of the Pondok Indah mall in South Jakarta on Sunday night at around 11 p.m.

"I was not suspicious because the kid was neatly dressed and polite when he asked me to take him to Serpong," Rofei said.

He said his passenger was friendly and talkative giving the impression that he was a well-educated boy.

But Rofei soon found out that his initial judgment was totally wrong after his passenger began to assault him as the taxi entered the BSD housing complex.

"At first he smeared Rheumason (massage balm) all over my eyes and then pointed a knife at my neck asking for money," he related.

Rofei said that after a brief tussle inside the car he freed himself, got out of the vehicle and screamed for help. Dozens of local residents rushed to the scene and soon overpowered Herbiansyah who offered little resistance. They beat and kicked the young robber repeatedly; only stopping when the police arrived on the scene half an hour later.

Herbiansyah was rushed to the Tangerang General Hospital where he was reportedly in a coma. (28/bas)