Alleged housewife killer arrested in Tangerang

Alleged housewife killer arrested in Tangerang

JAKARTA (JP): The suspected murderer of a pregnant housewife
in West Jakarta has been arrested at his relative's house in
Tangerang after five days of being on the run.

West Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Hari Pribadi told The
Jakarta Post yesterday that Mat Sani, alias Mamat, 19, was
apprehended on Thursday in the small village of Desa Pakuaji in
Tangerang, about 30 kilometers west of here.

According to Hari, Mat Sani hid out at the residence of his
relative directly after allegedly killing Wenny, 27, on Sunday
afternoon of Feb. 11. The suspect was a servant at Wenny's home.

The murder took place when Wenny, who was five months
pregnant, was with nine-month-old daughter, Melisa, at their
residence on Jl. SMA 57, Kedoya Utara in West Jakarta. Her
husband, Benny Lianto, 34, was out on business at the time.

The suspect admitted to hitting the woman's head at least four
times with a hammer, said Hari.

"Based on preliminary investigation, the suspect admitted that
a grudge was what motivated the killing. Wenny always scolded the
suspect when he worked for the family," officer Hari said.

The suspect reportedly made off with a Honda Astrea motorbike
after the women he allegedly hit was dead, the officer added. He
also admitted to stealing Rp 10,000 from the victim's pocket,
Hari said.

Riding too fast, he hit a passerby several meters away from
Wenny's home. One of neighbors who saw the accident asked Mat
Sani where he was going and why he was in a hurry.

The suspect replied that he was on his way to meet his male
boss.

Being suspicious, the neighbor went to Wenny's house. He found
little Melisa crying near her dead mother.

Her husband, Benny, arrived a few minutes later and rushed
Wenny to the nearby Graha Medika hospital, Hari said. She was
declared dead on arrival.

Police searched for the suspect at several places, including
Serang, West Java, where his parents live.

"The motorcycle and the bloodied hammer have been confiscated
as material evidence in this murder," Hari said. (bsr)