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Woman killed by relative
Police detained a man who allegedly beat to death a 63-year-old family member Tuesday evening, making off with some items from the woman's home on Jl
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Police detained a man who allegedly beat to death a 63-year-old family member Tuesday evening, making off with some items from the woman's home on Jl. Pemuda in Rawamangun, East Jakarta.
"The alleged murderer was Lalu Muh Sofyan, 26. He is the brother of the victim's daughter-in-law. He lived with the victim for about 4 years," Pulogadung police subprecinct chief Comr. Suharyanto told reporters Thursday.
Lalu told police he killed Sofny M. Sofyan, 63, because the victim often became angry with him, Suharyanto said. The suspect said he took the victim's mobile phone and jewelry, including a necklace, earrings, a ring and a brooch, to pay off some debts.
"He confessed he is the murderer. He allegedly pawned the victim's jewelry at a shop near her house," Suharyanto said Thursday.
Police found two pawnshop receipts for the stolen jewelry, worth more than Rp 5 million (US$537.6).
Lalu told reporters he killed the victim Tuesday evening, pretending he discovered her corpse the following day.
"I knocked her out with a bottle and then beat her," he added.
The morning after the alleged murder, he went to his office in an industrial area in Pulogadung and acted as if nothing happened, the suspect said.
After returning from work around 10 p.m., he entered the house and pretended to find the victim already dead inside, calling her name out loudly to attract neighbors and feigning shock at the surprise discovery, he added.
According to police, a neighbor became suspicious after finding no signs of robbery or struggle inside the victim's home. The neighbor later reported the suspect to police.
Lalu will be charged with violating criminal code article 340 and 330, on murder, article 351, on torture and article 365, on theft, Suharyanto said.
"If proven guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison," he added.
Police confiscated the stolen mobile phone, jewelry, receipts and cash from Lalu, before placing him in custody.
Another robbery case ending in murder was recently reported in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
According to police, a neighborhood guard was arrested early this month for allegedly robbing and killing a former officer of the Finance Ministry, Hamonangan Hutabarat, 70, in his house, along with his wife, Marinta Boru Simatupang, 67, and the couple's maid, Santi, 22.
