Police in Denpasar have arrested a man who allegedly posed as a police officer and killed a Japanese tourist, an officer said Sunday.
The 26-year-old man identified as David was arrested in Kepanjen market in Malang, East Java, for robbing and murdering 33-year-old Rika Sano in Kuta on Sept. 25, 2009.
Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. I Gede Alit Widana said his officers had chased him to his hometown in Malang after searching his rented house in Pemogan, South Denpasar, and finding several pieces of evidence.
"The suspect pretended to be a police officer, wore a police vest and a badge every time to deceive his victims," he said.
In the last six months, David has robbed six women staying around Kuta and Jl. Imam Bonjol, he added.
"The suspect usually targeted women. He would offer his help to the victims or would make up excuses to take them somewhere, and then rob and rape them."
Japanese Rika Sano was found dead in a bush around Jl. Mertonadi in Kuta, with wounds on her forehead after the suspect hit her with a wooden stick after she fought back and refused to give him her belongings.
Police said David was also after Rika's friend, Mayumi, but she managed to escape.
After failing to catch Mayumi, David followed Rika to her hotel. He came to the front office and asked where Rika's room was.
"He asked Rika to accompany him, telling her Mayumi had been taken to police office for violating traffic rules. Instead of taking Rika to the police office, he took her to Mertonadi and robbed her there. The victim was also raped."
David, a sole suspect in this case, has apparently been living in Denpasar since 2006 where he was working for a cigarette company on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai.
The police said the suspect did not always target foreign tourists, but chose his victims randomly.
"Out of the six people he robbed, four were Indonesians and the other two were foreigners," said Widana.
He added this was the first time the suspect had killed his victim, and also the first foreign tourist murder case in the last year.
A representative from the Japanese consulate general visiting the police office refused to comment on this case.
