Robber of Ermanto Usman's Home Chose Target Randomly, Resulting in Murder
JAKARTA — Sudirman (28), the perpetrator of an armed robbery at the residence of Ermanto Usman, a retiree from PT Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT), selected the target house at random for theft.
The Director of General Crime at Metro Jaya Police, Brigadier General Iman Imanudin, stated that Ermanto’s home was chosen because it appeared to be the largest and most luxurious compared to neighbouring properties.
“The victim was randomly selected. We have concluded this was random with no specific target,” Iman explained to journalists on Wednesday (11 March 2026).
Iman elaborated that Sudirman is known to be a theft specialist who frequently steals items from various locations. On several occasions, his activities were nearly detected by victims, though he often managed to escape.
The stolen items were diverse, ranging from cigarettes at a Madurese stall to valuable goods such as mobile phones. The crowbar used to force entry to the house and murder Ermanto was itself a stolen item.
“The background of severe economic need is what drove him to commit these acts,” he stated.
Stolen goods from Ermanto’s home that were subsequently sold by Sudirman included a mobile phone and jewellery. When apprehended, police also discovered a sum of cash on the suspect.
According to Iman, the money represented the remainder of proceeds from the sale of stolen jewellery.
Previously, it was reported that Ermanto and his wife, Pasmilawati (60), were alleged victims of armed robbery accompanied by assault resulting in death on Monday (2 March 2026).
The Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Bekasi City Metro Police Station, Senior Police Commissioner Andi Muhammad Iqbal, stated that preliminary indications pointed towards armed robbery.
When discovered, Ermanto was lying on a bed covered in blood, whilst Pasmilawati lay on the bedroom floor.
Ermanto died at the scene, whilst his wife remained in critical condition and was receiving intensive care at hospital.
Initial medical examination revealed both had sustained injuries from blunt force trauma to the back of the head.