Suspected car thief shot dead in Serpong

Police shot dead a suspected car thief as he was trying to steal a sedan parked outside a shopping center in Bumi Serpong Damai area in South Tangerang municipality on Wednesday.
 
Supriyanto, a security officer who witnessed the shooting, a police officer who was flanking a Bank Mandiri car supplying cash for automatic teller machines had shouted at the suspect and fired a warning shot.

“The man escaped and ignored the warning shot,” Supriyanto said, adding that a silver Avanza minibus suddenly approached to pick the man up.

The officer shot the suspect in his back before he could reach the minibus. The suspect died instantly.

Serpong police chief Comr. Budi Hermanto said the car theft was only an attempt to distract the police’s attention as the suspect and his gang were aiming at the ATM.

“The real target of the gang of four was actually the ATM, but if they managed to steal both the car and the ATM why not,” Budi said.

The dead suspect and his accomplices have remained unidentified.