Terror of Arson in Pisangan Baru, Matraman: Perpetrator Secured by Police

Residents in the Pisangan Baru area of Matraman, East Jakarta, were gripped by unease following a series of arson terror incidents that occurred in the early hours of Sunday (10/5). Fortunately, the suspected perpetrator, initials A, aged 24, was secured before a mob could carry out vigilante justice.

The chairman of RW 05 in Pisangan Baru Kelurahan, Ramdani, revealed that the arson actions took place between 03:00 and 04:00 WIB. Residents’ suspicions arose when recordings from surveillance cameras (CCTV) at various points showed the same man igniting fires in the residential area.

“After it was seen on CCTV, the fire points led towards the perpetrator’s location. Even his own parents admitted that the figure in the recording was their son after viewing the CCTV evidence,” said Ramdani when providing a statement on Tuesday (12/5).

Information regarding the perpetrator’s identity quickly spread, sparking anger among residents from across RWs, from RW 03, 04, 05, to RW 06. A crowd briefly approached the perpetrator’s residence, but the situation was calmed by local community leaders.

The perpetrator A is known as a young man who has just completed his university education. In his neighbourhood, he is recognised as a very introverted individual who rarely socialises with peers his age.

Residents suspect psychological disturbances or depression suffered by the perpetrator. This is based on A’s odd behaviour during the incident. Based on CCTV footage, the perpetrator did not immediately flee after igniting the fire but returned to ensure it was burning.

“There is a notion towards that (mental disturbance). Because, after the execution and the fire was lit, he went back to check. If the intention was to deliberately burn for sabotage, one would usually flee immediately, but here he checked again whether it was lit or not,” added Ramdani.

This incident previously went viral on social media via the @beritamatraman account. In the post, the perpetrator can be seen igniting a fire at a shop before residents extinguished it, preventing it from spreading to permanent structures.

Currently, police from the Matraman Police Sector are still conducting in-depth investigations into the motive behind the reckless action. Examination of the perpetrator’s mental condition is also part of the investigation agenda to determine the next legal steps. (Ant/Z-1)