Four Facts: Mother and Child Victims of Misaimed Molotov Cocktail Attack in Koja
A mother riding with her young child was struck by a Molotov cocktail in a case of mistaken target in Koja, North Jakarta. The incident was captured by CCTV and went viral on social media. The footage shows the victim riding a motorcycle with her toddler through a narrow alley, passing four men chatting at the roadside. Moments later, the Molotov cocktail was thrown, hitting the motorcycle’s dashboard. The victim panicked and screamed hysterically before crashing into a door and falling with her child. Residents immediately chased the perpetrators, with one man grabbing a sharp weapon to pursue them, while others helped the victim and extinguished the flames with water.
Koja Police Chief Kompol Andry Suharto confirmed the victim was merely passing by and had no connection to the attack. “It was not aimed at the mother; she just happened to be passing,” he stated on Tuesday (23/6/2026). The Molotov cocktail landed on the road and ignited as the motorcycle passed, startling the victim and causing her to fall.
Police suspect four perpetrators based on CCTV evidence. “From the CCTV footage, the perpetrators are believed to number around four people,” said Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations Kombes Budi Hermanto. Investigators have secured CCTV recordings and fragments of the Molotov bottle as evidence and are working to identify and apprehend the suspects while probing the motive.
Investigations revealed the intended target was a man identified as K, the uncle of a man named U. The alleged thrower, identified as M, is the former husband of a woman named R, who is now in a relationship with U. Police said M was jealous even though he also has a new partner. “M was jealous of R and U. Strangely, his jealousy was misdirected at U’s family. The man seen sitting holding a phone in the video is U’s uncle, K,” Andry explained. M allegedly intended to throw the Molotov at K, who was playing on his phone outside a house on Jalan Mandiri II on Monday (22/6) at around 9 a.m. local time. K, seen wearing a blue shirt in the footage, managed to dodge when the device exploded nearby.
Police confirmed the mother and child were unharmed. “The victim’s condition is fine; she was just shocked and the motorcycle fell, but there were no injuries,” said Kompol Andry. The victim has been advised to file a police report. The four suspects remain at large as the joint police team continues its investigation.