Policewoman arrival thwarts daytime robbery

Policewoman arrival thwarts daytime robbery

JAKARTA (JP): A quick-witted policewoman foiled an attempted
daytime robbery by a notorious gang of four thugs in Kramat Jati,
East Jakarta yesterday.

The officer shot and injured one of the robbers while the rest
reportedly bugged out.

One of the toughs was later apprehended by angry area
residents, who helped the policewoman subdue the robbers.

Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, a spokesman for City Police, said the
attempted robbery occurred at around 10:15 a.m. when the four
broke into the house of Siti Amnah, 40, on Jl. Batu Sari, in Batu
Ampar subdistrict, Kramat Jati district, East Jakarta.

The house was empty at the time because Amnah, an employee of
the Ministry of Manpower who lives alone there, had already left
for work.

Several area residents witnessed the arrival of the four
thieves on two motorbikes, armed to the teeth with sickles and
machetes, but they dared not stand up to them.

Two of the robbers then broke into the house while the other
two remained outside.

Police Lt. Yusmaniar, a staff member of the Personnel
Directorate at National Police Headquarters, whose house is
located behind Amnah's, returned home at this time to change into
a ceremonial uniform while the robbers were busy ransacking
Amnah's house.

The officer was changing her uniform for a general rehearsal
in the run-up to Policewomen Day on Sept. 1.

Upon seeing her, a neighbor, identified as Rizal, told the
officer that something suspicious was taking place at Amnah's
house.

Yusmaniar, clad in her uniform and brandishing a pistol, went
to the house and saw that two of the robbers, armed with machetes
and crowbars, leaving the house with a stolen TV set.

A bricklayer named Yasidi, 38, who was renovating Yusmaniar's
house, followed the officer from behind.

"I took up my pistol and shouted, 'I'm police. Drop your
weapon'," Yusmaniar recalled.

Instead of turning themselves in, the robbers attacked the
officer, but Yasidi, who is skilled at martial arts, came to her
aid.

One of the robbers, later identified as Sofyan, 21, a resident
of Tengah subdistrict, Kramat Jati district, then got involved in
a brawl with Yasidi, who had no weapons.

Another robber, who remained unidentified until yesterday,
tried to attack Yusmaniar, but fell down after she shot him in
the chest. Yusmaniar reportedly had earlier fired two warning
shots into the air.

The two robbers who served as lookouts fled on their bikes
after seeing their friend shot. Sofyan tried to follow them but
the area residents who had flocked to the scene captured him and
beat him bloody.

"I'm very grateful to Yasidi for his aid," Yusmaniar said
honestly.

According to Kampung Makassar police, who handled the case,
the group of robbers had earlier committed at least five daring
daytime robberies in the area. The four were included in the list
of wanted robbers by the Semarang, Central Java, police. (jsk)