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)