Ojek thief caught and killed by mob

JAKARTA (JP): Angry residents beat a man to death after allegedly catching him trying steal an ojek (motorcycle taxi) from its driver in Cipari village in Cikupa, Tangerang, on Wednesday night.

The victim, identified as Bisri Irawan, 35, was attacked by the local people when they heard the ojek driver, named Syaitot, 32, of Ciakar village, Cikupa, screaming for help, Antara said.

As he was being driven to Cipari village, Bisri rubbed hot chili paste over Syaitot's eyes, Antara reported.

When Syaitot's stinging eyes forced him to stop, Bisri pushed him away from the motorcycle. But as Bisri tried to restart the engine, Syaitot's screams alerted people nearby, who ran out of their homes and beat the would-be thief to death, according to Antara.

The victim's body was brought to the Tangerang general hospital before it was transferred to the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital in Central Jakarta for a postmortem examination. (ylt)