Robber arrested as he tries to sell hot car

JAKARTA (JP): The tables turned on a man when he tried to sell a stolen Mercedes Benz to a car showroom owner, who happened to be the elder brother of the owner of the car who was murdered and his car stolen on Jl. Bintaro in Kebayoran Lama, on Friday morning, South Jakarta Police chief of detectives said.

Maj. Rycko Amelza Daniel said on Saturday that 29-year-old Andi Juniawan reportedly shot dead the victim, 43-year-old Santoso Mulyono, and drove his blue Mercedes Benz, complete with papers, straight to a car showroom, which miraculously was owned by the victim's brother.

"God has His own ways to bring about justice. The crime scene was in Bintaro, and the showroom in Pondok Indah ... the distance itself is quite far. And yet the showroom to which the thief drove the Mercedes to sell was the one owned by the victim's brother," Rycko told The Jakarta Post.

Rycko said the Mercedes had been advertised for sale in a local newspaper by the victim, which had caught the eye of the thief.

"The thief went to the home of the victim in Bintaro housing complex, they talked about the car and then the thief asked the him if they could take the car for a spin. They stopped on Jl. Bintaro in Kebayoran Lama, very near Remedika Hospital," Rycko said.

"That's where the thief shot the victim with a pen gun, threw him out of the car to die, before taking off with the car. He drove straight to BM Motor, owned by the victim's brother, whose name we still can't release since he's in mourning."

Rycko said that when the suspect said he wanted to sell the car, the showroom owner and his employees immediately recognized the car as that of the owner's brother.

"The employees held down the thief, while someone called the Kebayoran Police station."

On the same day, a man died after being stabbed in the stomach by a suspected thief on Jl. Batu Ceper in Cipayung, East Jakarta, at about 8:45 p.m., city police spokesman said.

Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis identified the victim as 24-year-old Marwoto, an owner of a black Honda Astrea motorcycle.

"According to eyewitness Aris, the suspect tried to steal the motorcycle, but the victim stood his ground and tried to fight the thief off. The suspect stabbed the victim, who then screamed for help," Zainuri said.

"The frightened robber ran off, leaving behind the motorcycle."

Three hours later after the Cipayung incident, residents of Pejodongan in Legok, Tangerang, beat one of two unidentified chicken thieves and caused severe injuries to the other, who is now receiving medical care.

Zainuri said the owner of the chickens, 44-year-old Mat Rais, screamed for help when he saw the two thieves trying to steal his chickens.

Separately, two men have been arrested for attempting to steal a becak (pedicab) belonging to 33-year-old Syamsuddin in Pondok Bambu, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Saturday at 2 a.m.

"When the thieves stole the becak, residents in the area found out, and handed over the two thieves to Duren Sawit Police," Zainuri said. (ylt/01)