Sniffer dog helps catch watch thief
JAKARTA (JP): With the help of a police sniffer dog, detectives arrested an 18-year-old man for allegedly stealing wristwatches worth about Rp 2.5 million (US$666) from a Matahari department store yesterday.
The dog traced the suspect, Tedy Suryanta, back to his house in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, several kilometers away from the store at Mega Mal Pluit in North Jakarta, City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said.
The man allegedly stole seven Guess watches on Tuesday night after breaking into the store as it closed and smashing a display counter.
"The store's management was at first uncertain about the identity of the culprit," he said.
"Police officer who arrived at the crime scene dusted the fingerprints left on the counter and then used the dog to help trace the suspect."
The case was reported about 9 p.m. Tuesday to the Penjaringan Police subprecinct, which then called for backup from City Police Headquarters.
Based on the management's suspicion of Tedy, who was an employee of a store in the same building, police decided to visit his house on Jl. Rawa Tengah in Johar Baru early yesterday.
Initially, Tedy denied all the allegations made against him, even though police allegedly knew that his fingerprints matched those left on the counter, Aritonang said. And the dog "confirmed" that the scents at the crime scene and the man's house were the same.
He said the suspect argued that he had never visited Matahari that day.
Tedy allegedly admitted his wrongdoing about 3 a.m. after officers located the stolen watches, which were hidden at the house and his workplace, he said.
"Tedy confessed that he came in the store just before it closed. He went straight to the Guess counter which was already unmanned as the shop assistants had left. He smashed the counter, took the watches and left the store."
Police believe that Tedy observed the store's operations before the theft and later planned to sell the watches.
Tedy was detained at the Penjaringan Police precinct. (cst)