Murderers of taxi driver shot dead by police

JAKARTA (JP): Police shot dead two men for allegedly trying to escape from a crime scene where they had robbed and murdered an Agung Taxi driver, identified as Hermansyah, 48, early on Friday morning.

The two robbers were identified as Jimmy Nainggolan, 22, a resident of Cipayung subdistrict in East Jakarta and Jul Filin, 26, a resident of Bukit Kemuning district, North Lampung regency, Lampung.

Tangerang Police deputy chief Comr. Ricky Wakano said Jimmy and Jul were netted by Tangerang Police officers during the 3rd Sadar Jaya Police Operation on Jl. Moh. Husni Thamrin in Tangerang.

"Both the driver and passenger in the taxi, which was passing the site of the police raid, looked suspicious so we stopped it," Ricky, who also led the police operation, said.

He said Jimmy and Jul appeared nervous when the police looked into the cab.

"Police became more suspicious as bloodstains were seen on Jimmy's hand and blue jeans," he said.

Ricky said the police then decided to arrest both of them for questioning.

During questioning Jimmy and Jul finally confessed to having robbed and stabbed Hermansyah and later of having discarded the driver's body near a tollroad in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

According to Ricky, the two robbers stopped the taxi in front of Pancasila University campus in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta around 1 a.m. and asked the driver to take them to Cipayung.

"But as the taxi was heading to the area, Jimmy suddenly stabbed Hermansyah once in the neck and then 30 times in his stomach," he said.

Ricky said that after dumping Hermansyah's body near the tollroad, Jimmy then drove the taxi to Tangerang.

The officer said that upon hearing the two robbers' testimony, police then took them to Cipayung where Hermansyah's body was abandoned.

"After recognizing Hermansyah's body, the two attempted to escape and ignored the police's repeated warning shots. That's why the police finally shot them," he said.

After conducting an autopsy on Hermansyah's body, a forensic doctor said there were 35 stab wounds to the victim's stomach and another six in his neck.

Some Agung Taxi drivers, who came to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital morgue to see the body, said that Hermansyah had been working with the taxi company for six years.

Hermansyah's body was taken to his residence in Rawabadak, North Jakarta, after an autopsy in the afternoon.

The victim's younger brother, Dedi Rifanto, told The Jakarta Post at the morgue that Hermansyah was survived by a wife and 8 young children.

"My brother's death has shocked and confused our family," he said, while citing that the family had yet to decide on who will raise Hermansyah's children. (01)