Man mobbed to death for theft attempt

JAKARTA (JP): A 28-year-old resident of Pasar Rumput in Manggarai, South Jakarta, was mobbed to death by locals on Jl. Manunggal in Condet Balekambang, East Jakarta on Friday evening after he was caught stealing a motorbike.

An accomplice of the victim escaped from the incident but suffered serious wounds to his body as he was also badly mobbed by the angry locals.

Police said they are investigating the alleged violent act of the locals.

The police identified the dead victim as Yanto, who died after 18 hours at the Soekanto Police Hospital in Kramatjati.

His friend, Agung, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, survived thanks to the swift arrival of some local police officers to the scene.

Police said Agung was allegedly hired by Yanto to commit the crime.

According to a witness, Iwan Wahyu Sulistio, a local, he was just about to go to bed when he heard a noise in his living room.

"Curious, I woke up and went into the living room. That was when I saw the two men moving my Suzuki Shogun motorcycle out of my house," Iwan told the local police.

"I then screamed for help, alerting my neighbors," he recalled.

Dozens of people then rushed to the house and mobbed the two.

From Yanto's body, police found a specially designed ignition key and two sachets of tranquilizer pills. (bsr)