Gardener arrested for stealing

JAKARTA (JP): A man was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly attempting to steal money from the house of foreign affairs minister Alwi Shihab on Jl. Paso, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, South Jakarta Police chief of detectives said.

Maj. Rycko Amelza Daniel said on Thursday that the suspect, Johan, 26, a gardener at Alwi's house, entered the house through a window at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

"He was not caught then, but Pak Alwi's family guessed that it was him, since he has been strongly suspected of stealing money for some time," Rycko told reporters.

"When he returned in the morning to tend to the gardens, he was caught at about 10 a.m. Johan later confessed that he had stole small amounts of money from the house before."

Separately, Kebayoran Baru detectives shot dead an unidentified suspected thief on Jl. Langsat in Kebayoran Baru at about 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

"The man was trying to steal a watch from a lady, identified as Susilowati, 49. He was shot in his thigh and chest," Rycko said. (ylt)