Thieves mobbed in East Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Two thieves who were caught red-handed stealing money amounting altogether to Rp 22,600 (US$2) at two separate locations in East Jakarta early on Thursday were severely beaten by local residents before being handed over to the police.

The 28-year old Slamet Hidayat was mobbed by residents in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, after being caught stealing money from the Al Munawaroh mosque's poor box.

Cecep, a local resident who saw Slamet entering the mosque at 2 a.m., thought he was going to sleep on the mosque's porch.

"But minutes later, I heard the sound of breaking glass from the mosque, and then saw that the thief was taking the money after breaking the mosque's glass poor box," he said.

Cecep then shouted "thief", with the result that other residents immediately emerged from their homes and set upon Slamet.

Residents then turned over the thief together with the Rp 17,600 stolen from the poor box to Kramat Jati subprecinct police.

In the second incident, police shot a thief who was attempting to escape after stealing a cash box from the Mega Matra Hotel parking lot on Jl. Matraman Raya, East Jakarta.

The thief, identified as 25-year-old Ade Wahyu, was spotted taking the box by Bambang Budiman, a member of the hotel staff.

Bambang shouted "thief" as Ade ran off with the box containing Rp 5,000 in the direction of Berlan. A police officer guarding the hotel then shot the thief in the thigh to stop him.

Bambang said that local residents then severely beat the immobilized Ade before the police took him to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta. (01)