Hold-up victim jumps to her death

JAKARTA (JP): A woman attempting to escape from two armed hold-up men on a public transport vehicle died after she jumped from the speeding van on the Jagorawi toll road on Tuesday evening.

The woman was later identified as Mally Samolo, 22, a high school graduate.

Her body was spotted by an unidentified motorist, who then informed employees of the state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga.

Some of the company's staff then rushed to the scene where they found a cell phone number, apparently belonging to the victim's father, in her wallet.

After the arrival of Mally's family at the site, the body was taken to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta.

Based on preliminary information and testimony from Mally's friend, Romy, who was with her on the public vehicle, the two were on board the van plying the Kranggan and Cililitan routes in East Jakarta on Tuesday evening. Suddenly, two men pointed sharp weapons at them and asked for their belongings.

Romy, a university student, recalled that the incident took place around 8:30 p.m. when the van was somewhere near the Cibubur area.

Mally, sitting near the van's door, panicked and jumped from the moving vehicle. Meanwhile, her friend Romy, decided to meet the robbers' demand by handing over his wallet and automatic- teller-machine card.

It is unclear whether there were other passengers inside the van at the time.

Romy, who was later dropped off by the robbers at a site popularly called Garuda area in Cibubur, immediately notified Mally's family in Jatinegara about the incident.

A Jasa Marga employee quoted the father as saying that Mally had been in the capital for about a year from her hometown in Manado, North Sulawesi.

A similar incident took place at the busy Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, also in East Jakarta, about three hours after the Jagorawi incident.

This time, the victim took advantage of an opportunity to grab a knife from one of the three robbers and stab it into the abdomen of the crook.

After stabbing one of the robbers, Emal, 29, went to the nearby Ciracas police precinct to report the case and hand over the bloody knife.

Emal stated to the police that he was inside a public van heading to the Bojong Gede area in Depok at about midnight when three unknown men suddenly approached him and pointed two knives and a sickle at his neck.

Outnumbered, Emal immediately submitted his wallet and watch.

When the robbers were about to get off the minivan, Emal grabbed a knife from one of them and stabbed him.

But, he said, all of the robbers managed to get away.

The Ciracas police detectives are still probing the case. (06)