Motorcycle Thief Shoots Ride-Hailing Driver in Matraman, East Jakarta

A ride-hailing driver became a victim of a shooting while trying to stop two motorcycle thieves in the Palmeriam area of Matraman, East Jakarta. The victim had attempted to block the suspects’ path as they tried to escape on a motorcycle.

Eyewitness Evi (57) said the victim was waiting for a passenger when the incident occurred on a busy stretch of Jalan Palmeriam. “He tried to block the thieves’ motorbike. As soon as he blocked them, there was a loud ‘bang’, a gunshot. I immediately said, ‘Oh my God, he’s been shot, he’s been shot,’” Evi recounted.

Evi said she heard shouts of “thief” from the direction of Palmeriam Market before the shooting. She also saw more than ten residents chasing the two suspects. The victim was left lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the thigh, bleeding profusely. “He didn’t fall straight away. When I screamed, ‘He’s bleeding, blood, blood, blood,’ then he collapsed. He was taken to the community health centre first but wasn’t accepted, so he was taken to the hospital,” Evi explained.

According to Evi, the perpetrator fired the shot while riding the motorcycle before fleeing towards Jalan Matraman Raya. The suspects’ faces were not clearly visible as they were covered by masks. “Both perpetrators were wearing masks. People saw it, but they didn’t dare intervene because they heard the gunshot. I ran away myself, I was scared,” Evi said.

Meanwhile, the owner of the targeted motorcycle, Ilham (28), recounted that the incident began when residents chased the two suspects after they attempted to steal his RX-King motorcycle from a boarding house not far from the shooting location. Ilham was cooking when he heard a noise outside his room, initially thinking it was a courier. “About five or ten minutes later, I checked and banged on the door. That’s why there was a sound like a gunshot on the CCTV,” Ilham said.

The two suspects failed to steal the motorcycle and fled. Ilham gave chase while shouting for help. “I only got as far as the front fence before I hid behind a pillar. Then I spontaneously shouted from the gate,” Ilham stated. He was unable to provide a clear description of the suspects’ faces as they were wearing masks, helmets, jackets, and carrying bags.

Following the incident, police officers arrived at the boarding house to process the crime scene and take statements from witnesses.