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wo teenagers, identified only as RAD and MI, were arrested Saturday by the Jagakarsa Police in South Jakarta for their alleged involvement in a series of violent robberies.

Jagakarsa Police chief Comr. Husaima said Monday that RAD, 18, and MI, 17, were arrested after they allegedly stole a mobile phone owned by a fried rice vendor in Jagakarsa and slashed the vendor'€™s left hand and ear when he tried to chase them.

'€œThey had a machete ready in case a victim fought back,'€ Husaima told reporters at Jagakarsa Police office.

Husaima explained the incident happened at 2 a.m. Saturday when the men were riding around Jagakarsa area on a motorcycle to find '€œanyone who could potentially be their victim'€.

RAD and MI stopped when they saw the victim, who was using his mobile phone to send a text while waiting for a customer in a very quiet street.

'€œRAD pretended to ask the victim about an address in a nearby area. Then he took the victim'€™s mobile phone by force and ran toward MI, who had been waiting with the motorcycle,'€ Husaima said.

RAD drew his machete and slashed at the victim twice, catching his hand and ear.

'€œThe victim suffered serious injuries and was admitted to Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta,'€ Husaima said.

South Jakarta Police spokesperson Comr. Aswin said the two perpetrators were arrested at an Internet cafe in North Cipete, South Jakarta, at 4 p.m. Saturday. The police confiscated a machete, a motorcycle and two mobile phones from them.

Aswin said that MI was an 11th grader at a senior high school, while RAD was unemployed.

'€œThey are friends and we suspect they would have sold the mobile phone to pay their Internet cafe bill,'€ Aswin said, adding that before the incident, RAD and MI had committed two similar crimes together.

The police will charge them under Article 365 of the Criminal Code on theft with violence, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

The Jakarta Police year-end report showed that cases of theft with violence amounted to 904 in 2014, down from 1,004 cases in 2013.

Earlier this month, the Jakarta Police arrested a member of a gang that regularly committed violent robberies in greater Jakarta. He was arrested in Tangerang, where the police confiscated a homemade firearm.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said the Jakarta Police were still trying to catch two groups that operated in Bekasi, West Java.

Martinus added that most violent thefts in greater Jakarta were committed by people from outside Jakarta.

'€œMost cases are carried out by syndicates of people from out of Jakarta, usually they form a group based on their hometown,'€ Martinus said.

'€” JP/Indra Budiari