Police arrest teenager for robbing and killing grandpa

JAKARTA (JP): A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for allegedly robbing and killing his 82-year-old grandfather, a police officer said yesterday.

East Jakarta Police Precinct chief Lt. Col. Syahrir Kuba said the suspect, Rudi Hutagoal, was arrested in Cakung, North Jakarta, a few hours after the incident Wednesday.

Rudi, a city bus driver's assistant, lived less than 100 meters away from his grandfather, Christian Hutagaol, in Taman Buaran Indah, Penggilingan in Cakung.

Syahrir told The Jakarta Post Rudi admitted to the police that he felt forced to kill his grandfather when the latter caught him stealing his belongings.

The suspect, offended and scared, picked up a pair of scissors and stabbed the victim five times in the chest, head and arm, Syahrir said.

"Rudi stole Rp 100,000 (US$10) in cash which he later used to buy clothes and a wristwatch," he said.

"Rudi, who recently started working for a bus driver after being unemployed for a long time, is well-known for his bad behavior, according to his family," he said.

The suspect decided to come back to scene to cover up the murder by setting the victim's house on fire, he said.

A nearby security guard saw him leave the victim's house after the fire started and immediately informed the police, he said.

Syahrir said Rudi faced murder, robbery and arson charges.

The suspect could be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison if found guilty of killing his grandfather, he said.

Syahrir said Rudi would be tried as a minor by plainclothed judges in a closed trial in line with a 1997 law on judicial procedures for minors.

Christian, a father of nine children, lived alone.

Initially, police believed he was a victim of a fire.

Based on the information from the security guard, however, police officers quickly seized Rudi.

Christian came to Jakarta seven years ago and worked as a leather shoe, bag and belt maker, according to Timbul Hutagaol, one of the victim's sons.

"We rarely visited him... My brother's children delivered food everyday to his house since he was too old to cook," he said.

Christian's body was sent to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for a post mortem examination and was transported to Pematang Siantar in North Sumatra yesterday for burial. (emf/cst)