Three killed as robbers and residents clash in Joglo

Three killed as robbers and residents clash in Joglo

JAKARTA (JP): Three men were killed in a clash between three
robbers and residents of Joglo in the Kembangan district of West
Jakarta after the residents caught a gang of robbers stealing a
14-inch television set from a neighborhood house on Wednesday
morning.

Two of the dead were identified as Saruki, 34, and Sumarji,
31, both members of the gang, while the other victim was a local
resident identified as Rahmad, 16, an officer at the Kembangan
police station said.

The two robbers died of severe wounds inflicted by blunt
objects.

The other robber managed to flee after fatally wounding
Rahmad, the officer, who refused to be named, said.

The gang of robbers broke into the house, owned by Mansur,
through the front window at around 3 a.m. They proceeded to
remove Mansur's television set, said Rizal, a local resident.

"It was quiet around here as many people were watching a film
being screened at a nearby field," he said.

Rizal said that when he saw the robbers through the window,
one of the robbers, realizing that they had been seen, pointed
his sickle at him.

Rizal then shouted, "Thief, thief," at which the three robbers
fled into the darkness.

Another neighbor, Soleh, said that local residents, alerted by
the shouts, rushed to the scene and found the three robbers about
to enter a waiting taxi.

"When we stopped the taxi, the three men ran toward a nearby
garden which is surrounded by high concrete walls," Soleh said.

Taxi driver Heriyanto and his 'passenger' Poniyem, who is
five-months pregnant, were taken to a nearby house by the
residents.

Some of the other residents, however, took the initiative to
encircle the garden, waiting there until 5:30 a.m.

Police arrived minutes after the residents surrounded the
garden.

Eventually, one of the robbers managed to escape, at which
point the residents attacked the two remaining culprits, despite
warning shots fired by the police.

The head of the West Jakarta detective unit, Maj. Idham Azis,
confirmed the incident and said that local residents moved quick
to arrest the robbers.

Police later detained and questioned Heriyanto and Poniyem, as
they are also believed to be involved in the robbery. (emf)