Ex-Navy man nabbed over attempted car theft

JAKARTA (JP): Tebet Police detectives shot and arrested a former Navy officer and his friend in connection with an attempted car theft on Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam Raya in South Jakarta, early Wednesday morning.

Tebet Police subprecinct chief Comr. Asli Manao identified the suspects only as Dd, 37, the Navy officer who tried to escape and was shot in the left thigh, and Dd's friend, Bh, 43, who was shot in the right thigh.

Asli said a Tebet police patrol car was patrolling the Tebet area at about 5 a.m. on Wednesday, when suddenly the patrolling officers heard a scream on Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam Raya.

"My officers moved toward the source of the scream, and found that two men, Dd and Bh, were trying to break into a van parked in the driveway of a house, while another man was waiting outside the gate, in a van," Asli told reporters on Wednesday.

"The robbers had broken through the fence of the property, belonging to Fauzi. Fauzi's incessant screaming prompted the robbers to leave Fauzi's van and escape in their own van, a green Toyota Kijang with license plate number B 8639 VC."

Asli said the police pursued the Kijang until they reached the Tebet Barat Dalam area, where the van stopped and the robbers got out of the van, and fled.

"When the van stopped, police got out of their car, but found themselves being fired at by the robbers. Police returned fire, but the three robbers escaped," Asli said.

"As a result of the exchange of fire, police shot Dd and Bh in the thighs. The third man who was carrying the gun, escaped. The three robbers seem to be old-timers judging from the equipment they were carrying with them."

Police seized four fake license plates, four sickles, 15 screwdrivers, a homemade tool, fake keys, flashlights and other equipment, from the two suspects. (ylt)