Two Arrested for Machete Attack on Parangtritis Ticket Officer

Police have finally arrested two perpetrators of the machete attack on an officer at the Parangtritis Retribution Collection Point (TPR) at the end of May. Both are currently detained at the Kretek Police Station. “It is true, the Bantul Police Mobile Investigation Unit together with the Yogyakarta Regional Police ‘Jatanras’ Operational Team and the Kretek Police Criminal Investigation Unit succeeded in securing two perpetrators of assault using a sickle against a TPR (Parangtritis) officer,” said Bantul Police Public Relations Head, Iptu Rita Hidayanto, to reporters in Bantul on Friday. Rita added that the two perpetrators are identified by the initials RWSA (22), a resident of Pendowoharjo, Sewon, Bantul, and AW (26), a resident of Panggungharjo, Sewon, Bantul. Both were arrested at two different locations in Sewon on Thursday. “The perpetrator RWSA was arrested first around 2.30 pm Western Indonesia Time, followed by the perpetrator AW who was nabbed at 7.00 pm Western Indonesia Time,” she said. In addition to securing the two perpetrators, police also confiscated a number of pieces of evidence strongly suspected to have been used during the attack. The evidence includes two sickles and one automatic motorcycle. “Both perpetrators have now been handed over to investigators for further examination, and they have also been detained,” she stated. For their actions, the two perpetrators are charged under Article 262 of the Criminal Code concerning the criminal act of jointly committing violence against persons or property in public. As previously reported, a post describing a Parangtritis retribution collection officer as a victim of a machete attack while on duty went viral on social media. Police stated that as a result of the incident, the victim suffered a laceration on his left thigh. “A criminal act occurred at the Parangtritis TPR between 9.30 pm. The perpetrator’s characteristics include using a black Honda Beat motorcycle and wearing a face mask. The victim was a TPR guard. He came from the south, stopped at the TPR, and swung a sickle. The sickle fell and he fled,” said the Instagram account @merapi_uncover. Bantul Police Public Relations Head, Iptu Rita Hidayanto, said the incident began when the victim, MBA (38), a resident of Parangtritis, Kretek, Bantul, was on duty at the old Parangtritis TPR around 9.00 pm. It should be noted that for nighttime retribution collection, the Bantul Regency Government involves Parangtritis residents. “When the victim was working at the old Parangtritis TPR, the perpetrator suddenly arrived from the south direction,” she told reporters. The perpetrator then abruptly took out a sickle and swung it at the victim. The perpetrator also damaged the table at the TPR.