Man shot dead by robber for defending money

Man shot dead by robber for defending money

JAKARTA (JP): A 45-year-old man, who daringly attempted to
take on two robbers who had just stolen his company's Rp 60
million (US$5,500), lost his life on Thursday after one of the
culprits fired three bullets into his chest.

Karel Daniel Biere, an employee of contractor PT Sendiko and a
father of four, died instantly after chasing and hitting the
robbers' motorcycle on Jl. Raya Pos Pengumben in Kebun Jeruk,
West Jakarta.

In front of dozens of startled onlookers, the two culprits
left the site on a motorcycle they grabbed from a nearby ojek
(motorcycle taxi) driver.

In their haste they left the bag containing the cash at the
scene.

Police and witnesses said that Karel and his colleague Agus
Indrawan were just about to take the money inside their office on
Jl. Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta when the two robbers
approached him and snatched the bag that contained Rp 60 million
in cash.

City police detective chief Col. Gories Mere, who arrived at
the scene, told the media that the two employees had been
assigned by their office to withdraw Rp 110,500,000 from Bank BNI
in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

After putting the money in two different bags, the two then
headed to their office in a green Panther van driven by Karel.

After taking the first bag into the office while Karel stayed
in the driver's seat, Agus was on his way back to the van when
the incident occurred, Gories said.

The two robbers suddenly approached, grabbed the bag from Agus
and hurriedly left on a Yamaha RX King motorcycle.

"It seems that the suspects had followed the victims from the
bank," Gories said.

Amazed at the incident, Karel started the engine and chased
after the criminals. A few minutes later, in the midst of the
heavy afternoon traffic, Karel found the thieves and crashed into
their motorcycle from behind.

A witness at the scene, Suyudi, recalled: "After the crash,
the driver of the car (Karel) jumped out, shouted at the two men
and then fought with one of them."

The other suspect stood by and watched the fight from a
distance while clutching a bag, Suyudi said.

"A few seconds later, the man who was watching, suddenly
pulled a silver gun from his black jacket and aimed it at Karel,"
he said.

He told the police that he heard at least four shots before
the two robbers ran to a nearby a gas station where they stole a
motorcycle from an ojek driver.

Another witness, soft drink vendor Mariam, commented: "It's
like the Western films on televisions."

According to Gories, Karel, a resident of Bukit Lebak housing
complex, Sarua, Tangerang, was shot with an FN 46 gun.

Gories hoped that they would soon arrest the robbers.

The city police admitted on Thursday they are still in the
dark about Wednesday's bloody murder of a 38-year-old housewife
and her six-year-old daughter at their home at Migas housing
complex in Kemanggisan, Palmerah, West Jakarta.

According to West Jakarta police chief, Lt. Col. Timur
Pradopo, the investigation is still underway.

The victims, Eka Damayanti and her daughter Zahra Rahmadanti,
were buried on Thursday at the Tanah Kusir public cemetery in
South Jakarta after their bodies were found with stab wounds in
their necks.

Eka's husband, Zarmin, found the bodies inside the house. He
was at his office in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta
when he received an urgent call from his daughter.

"Zahra told him that her mother had been beaten by a bad man
and asked him to help her," relative Zulkifli Amir said.

Zarmin then rushed to his house but only to find his loved
ones dead.

Forensic expert Mun'im Idries warned Jakartans on Thursday
about the growing number of victims of similar robbery cases that
were followed by violence against women and children.

"Our social conditions have dropped and people are not ready
to face their harsh lives. So, they are pressing their
frustration and that could explain why a mere thief could be so
brutal if he panics or is cornered," he said. (emf)