Pickpocket fatally mobbed at terminal

Pickpocket fatally mobbed at terminal

JAKARTA (JP): A mob at Kampung Rambutan intercity bus terminal
in East Jakarta mobbed to death an alleged thief on Sunday
morning.

The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. when bystanders at the
terminal were alerted by the screams of a middle-aged woman,
later identified as Suswati.

The resident of nearby Cipayung subdistrict told the crowd
that her handbag had been stolen by a man, who was seen running
through the lines of minibuses parked at the terminal.

Scores of bus crew, street vendors and commuters chased after
and caught the man.

Finding the handbag in his possession, the crowd mobbed the
man.

"So it's true that you're the pickpocket," a man said before
hitting the alleged thief with a brick.

The mob ceased their attack only after terminal officials
rushed to the site to disperse them.

The alleged thief died at the scene.

"It's better if he dies that way," the driver of a city bus
said.

Local police, who arrived later, took the body to Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for a postmortem
examination. (emf)