Man mobbed over stolen TV set, 2 robbers shot dead

JAKARTA (JP): Angry residents of Jagakarsa mobbed a man on Monday, for allegedly stealing a television set from the home of a Jagakarsa resident on Jl. Raya Srengseng Sawah in South Jakarta.

Jagakarsa Police chief of detectives Second. Insp. Hendro told reporters that the suspect who died was still unidentified, while the victim was Ika Puspita Sari, 20, whose television set was nearly stolen from her residence.

"I myself heard the news from Ika's boyfriend, Jaya Sudradjat, who told me that his girlfriend had lost a television set, and that people suddenly mobbed a man," Hendro told reporters.

"When we heard this, we rushed to the crime scene, only to find that the man being mobbed, was already dead. An ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, Nurul Iksan, who had driven the suspect to the scene, was caught by Jagakarsa residents and handed over to us."

Hendro said that according to eyewitnesses, the suspect had been caught by residents, covering up a television set with a bedsheet. Residents, Hendro said, immediately gave chase and started screaming, "thief! thief!".

The frightened suspect immediately got on Nurul's motorcycle, and Nurul drove off. In their panic, the motorcycle fell. Residents surrounded the suspect, and beat him to death, Hendro said.

In an unrelated development, Bekasi police shot dead two of five suspects who had allegedly committed a series of vehicles thefts, early on Monday on Jl. Chairil Anwar, Karang Kitri, Bekasi.

Bekasi Police chief Comr. Djoko Susilo said Andri alias Boncel, 22, was shot in the head while Ujang alias Ucok, 20, was shot in the back, because they fired at police during a police raid.

Djoko said in an effort to stamp out crimes in the regency, he deployed a number of detectives to conduct an antithug operation near the Kali Malang river.

He said during the operation police halted a Suzuki minibus with five passengers heading for Jakarta.

"As one of police officers was about to examine the car's documents, one of the minibus passengers suddenly opened fire at the officer," Djoko said.

Fortunately, he said, the officer was not hit and quickly returned fire, fatally wounding Andri and Ujang at the scene while the three others managed to escape.

The police seized the minibus, which they suspect had been stolen along with a homemade revolver, four bullets, a sickle and a machete found in the vehicle. The two corpses were sent to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital morgue. (01/ylt)