Mob kills man for ojek murder

JAKARTA (JP): A mob beat a man to death after he allegedly killed an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver to confiscate his motorcycle in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, early on Tuesday morning.

The ojek driver, identified as Yahya, 32, was a resident of Jl. Kemajuan of Petukangan in South Jakarta. The suspected thief has not been identified.

It was not clear where Yahya picked up the passenger, but an officer of the South Jakarta police precinct said Yahya was stopped in the Kebayoran Lama area by two men who were known to his passenger.

"Yahya was beaten and stabbed to death, then the three mounted the motorcycle," said the officer, who requested anonymity.

Local residents, however, heard the noises and immediately rushed at the three, he said.

Two of the men managed to flee the angry mob, but the third man ran into a pond, where he was caught by the residents and beaten to death.

"It's now difficult for police to find the other men, as their accomplice is dead," he said.

The bodies of Yahya and the other man were sent to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for postmortem examinations. (emf)