3 killed in Cirebon, Semarang robberies

3 killed in Cirebon, Semarang robberies

Nana Rukmana and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Semarang

One person was killed during a robbery in Cirebon, West Java, on
Monday, a day after a fatal robbery in the Central Java capital
of Semarang.

The morning robbery in Cirebon at a shop-house on Jl. Sukalila
left one person dead and two others injured.

Lo Lie Mey, 45, the wife of Halim Sutedja, the owner of the
shop-house, said two men entered the house as she was preparing
to take her children to school.

The robbers encountered Yeti, 20, a maid, who tried to prevent
them from entering the house. The robbers fatally slashed the
woman with sickles before rushing into the shop-house in search
of the owner.

Halim was able to escape harm by locking himself in his
bedroom.

The suspects then burned two cars in the garage and the shop
at the front of the shop-house.

All of the occupants of the house were able to make it to
safety. Mey then ran to a nearby police post to report the
robbery, and minutes later officers descended on the house.

As the two robbers attempted to flee, officers fired several
shots at them, killing Herwandy, alias Hery, 24, one of the two
suspects.

The other suspect, Ferry Cardo, 26, Herwandy's brother, was
shot in his shoulder and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Both suspects are residents of Simaja subdistrict in Cirebon.

Adj. Comr. Rommy Zakarias said that after a preliminary
investigation, it was believed that revenge was the motive for
the attack.

"Both robbers are former employees of Halim Sutedja. They were
recently fired for allegedly stealing Rp 10 million (US$1,063)
and a bike from Halim Sutedja, and apparently they wanted
revenge," Rommy said.

Separately, in Semarang, police here are looking for four men
who shot and killed the owner of Onta jewelry shop, Liem Peng
Hoo, 60, during a robbery on Sunday.

The four robbers also hit the nearby Srimpi jewelry shop on
Jl. Wahid Hasyim and shot Indra Wijaya, the owner of that shop.
They suspects got away with some Rp 700 million from the shops.

Since July last year, eight people, including Liem Peng Hoo,
have been shot and killed during robberies in Semarang.

Insp. Gen. Chaerul Rasyid, the chief of the Central Java
Police, said three people had been named as suspects in Sunday's
robberies and police were searching for the men.