Suspected Motorcycle Thief Dies After Being Beaten by Mob in Purwakarta

A suspected motorcycle thief in Purwakarta District, West Java, died after being beaten by a mob in Gurudug Village, Pondoksalam Subdistrict, Purwakarta District, West Java.

Arizal Juliana (25), a resident of Dusun 3 Karajan 2, Tanjungsari Village, Pondoksalam Subdistrict, Purwakarta District, the suspected motorcycle thief who died after being beaten by a mob, was buried at his hometown public cemetery on Saturday morning (28 February).

Arizal, who suffered severe head injuries and subsequently died, had previously received emergency medical treatment at Bayu Asih Hospital in Purwakarta on Friday afternoon (27 February).

According to Arizal’s father, Dodi Saepudin (48), he did not anticipate his son would become a victim of mob justice, though he remained uncertain about the exact cause. From the information he received, his son and an accomplice were suspected of stealing a motorcycle in Gurudug Village. Arizal was apprehended and beaten by residents before being taken to hospital by police.

“Previously, I received news that my son had been arrested by residents for theft and beaten,” said Dodi Saepudin on Saturday (28 February).

Dodi Saepudin stated that as the victim’s parent, he has not considered pursuing legal action against those responsible for beating his son, as the family is still in mourning and will refer the case to the authorities.

Meanwhile, Rusmana Wijaya, village chief of Tanjungsari, stated that the village administration only recently learned that one of its residents had become a victim of mob justice following alleged motorcycle theft, following notification from the head of Gurudug Village.

“As village chief of Tanjungsari, I only received news from the head of Gurudug Village regarding a resident of our village who was caught red-handed attempting to steal a motorcycle,” said Rusmana Wijaya.

To date, no official statement has been received from police regarding the alleged motorcycle theft case in Gurudug Village that resulted in death.