Man Kills Neighbour with Machete to Defend His Father

A man with the initials ERS, 35, killed his neighbour, Tata Hendro, 45, in a cassava garden in Kampung Ciaren, Karangjaya Village, Tasikmalaya Regency, on Wednesday (19/8/2026). The brutal act was triggered by the suspect’s anger in defending his biological father after a fight over a land boundary dispute.

Karangjaya Police Chief Inspector Saptaji confirmed the incident. He explained that the incident began with a dispute between the victim and the suspect’s father, Sanusi, 70. The dispute occurred when the victim sold a plot of land to another person, but the land boundary overlapped with land owned by Sanusi.

“Based on witness statements, the victim sold the land and the buyer intended to build a house. Because it bordered the suspect’s father’s land, a dispute arose. The suspect’s father reprimanded the victim, but the reprimand was not accepted, leading to a physical fight,” said Saptaji on Wednesday (19/8).

Seeing her husband fighting, the suspect’s mother, who was upset, then reported the matter to her son, ERS. Upon hearing the report, ERS became enraged and immediately grabbed a machete. He approached the victim, who was in the cassava garden, and immediately hacked him until the victim died at the scene.

Uniquely, after committing the murder, ERS did not flee. He remained at the location to guard the victim’s body until the police arrived.

“The suspect has been detained by the police. He did not flee; instead, after the killing, he guarded the victim’s body in the cassava garden. The suspect also immediately handed over the machete he used to the police,” Saptaji added.

Tata Hendro’s body was then evacuated to the morgue of Dr. Soekardjo Regional General Hospital in Tasikmalaya City for further procedures. The murder case has now been transferred to the Tasikmalaya City Police for a thorough investigation into the motive and criminal elements of ERS’s actions.

“The case has been transferred to the Tasikmalaya City Police to uncover more details about the motive for this murder. The body is still in the morgue,” he concluded.