Suspected murderer of woman arrested
Suspected murderer of woman arrested
JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta police detectives arrested yesterday the main suspect in the murder of a 59-year-old woman in the Johar Baru subdistrict.
Police also confiscated gold and diamond jewelry worth approximately Rp 10 million (US$4,520) and several other items, including handbags and pocket cameras, the suspect allegedly stolen after committing the crime.
Chief of the Central Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Murawi Effendi told reporters that Edwin Firmansyah, 32, unemployed, was arrested at about 2 a.m. at his girlfriend's rented room in Gedung III, Cisarua, Bogor.
Edwin was wanted as the main suspect in connection with the murder of Sri Hikayati Sakam and the wounding of Mrs. Sakam's 21- year-old stepdaughter, Ila, at the family's residence in the Civil Air Services housing complex in Johar Baru on Monday morning.
The suspect, who has been hiding since then, is believed to have used a knife to slit the throats of the two victims.
"The neck of Mrs. Sakam, the wife of a pilot, was almost completely cut, while her daughter was able to survive by pretending that she was dead while the killer was still in the house," said Murawi, who was accompanied by the head of crime investigation division Maj. Charles Marpaung.
Mrs. Sakam died within minutes of the incident. Ila is still in intensive care at the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital.
The two victims were alone with a domestic helper, Julikha, when the suspect came to the house at about 12 a.m. Mrs. Sakam's husband and other daughter were in North Sumatra.
"The suspect is a former neighbor of the family. That's why he was allowed to drop by the victims' house so late in the evening," said Murawi.
During police questioning, Edwin confessed that he badly needed money to pay off his debt, Charles said.
Before being arrested, Edwin had already sold three of the stolen jewelry items to a goldsmith in Paseban, Central Jakarta, receiving Rp 900,000.
"We have seized all of the stolen goods," Charles added.
Following the separation from his wife, the suspect lived with a woman in the red-light district of Bogor, where he was apprehended by a special team set up by Central Jakarta police detectives. (bsr)