Police stymied in search for showroom robbers

Police stymied in search for showroom robbers

JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police detectives are finding it
difficult to locate three members of an armed gang who wounded a
high school girl during a robbery on Thursday afternoon, an
officer said.

Chief of the police precinct Lt. Col. Tjiptono said on Friday
that one of the four robbers, who was caught by the victim's
brother with the help of passersby, told the police he knew their
names but not their addresses.

"We know their identities but we're still working on how to
get their addresses and trace their whereabouts," Tjiptono said,
declining to give further details.

The arrested man has been identified as 23-year-old Rudy,
alias Abdul Latif of Kebon Nanas subdistrict in Jatinegara.

Rudy is receiving treatment at Soekanto Police Hospital in
Kramat Jati after being severely wounded during the arrest.

Separately, chief of Duren Sawit Police subprecinct Capt. Edi
Setyobudi said one of the escaped robbers was a convict, who was
once jailed in North Jakarta for armed robbery.

"We'd better not publicize his name as we're still after him,"
Edi said.

Edi also said the police had so far received only a few clues
from the wounded Rudy.

"Maybe in two or three days' time we can question him."

The story

In an attempt to snatch a bag containing Rp 33 million
(US$4,714) from Rizky Amalia, a student of state SMU 30 high
school, the robbers, driving two motorcycles and armed with
machetes, wounded the girl in an audacious robbery in front of a
car showroom in East Jakarta.

The girl, who had just left a bank to buy a new Ford sedan
with her parents and elder brother, reportedly had both her palms
slashed.

According to her parents and brother Alfi Firmansyah, the
bandits followed their car from a bank in the Matraman area.

Upon their arrival at the Tambra Motor showroom on Jl. I Gusti
Ngurah Rai in Klender, Amalia was the first to alight from the
car. She was holding the bag containing the money.

Two men on a motorcycle suddenly tried to grab the bag from
the girl, who was still wearing her white and gray school
uniform.

Amalia tried to hold onto the bag, prompting one of the
robbers to use his machete and slash Amalia's hands.

The two men managed to get the bag and when onlookers and
passersby tried to chase them, another motorcycle with two men on
it arrived and blocked the people's way.

A witness to the incident, Alfi, gave chase to the motorcycles
and after running 100 meters he managed to lunge at one of them.

Rudy, who was the back passenger on the motorcycle, fell off
and started swinging his machete at people who had come to Alfi's
assistance.

At least two people were injured on their hands and fingers.

The onlookers, however, soon outnumbered Rudy and mobbed him.

Some, however, initially wanted to burn Rudy, but others
reminded them that if they burned him they would lose clues on
the other robbers. (emf)