West Manggarai police detain 17-year-old in Sernaru burglary probe

Labuan Bajo — West Manggarai police detained a 17-year-old student suspected of a string of burglaries in the Sernaru area after residents left homes unattended during earthquake-related disruption, according to police and local media reports.

The suspect, identified by police as ASJ, was arrested on Aug. 22 in Sernaru and later named a suspect, according to a police release and reporting by local outlets. Police said he is a student at SMK Stella Maris Labuan Bajo and is being handled under Indonesia’s juvenile justice procedures.

Police said the case began with a complaint from a 29-year-old farmer, identified as WB, who reported that his house in Sernaru had been broken into on Aug. 19. Officers said the reported losses included a mobile phone, gold jewellery and rice, with the value estimated at about 3.3 million rupiah.

Items recovered

Investigators said they traced the suspect to Sernaru on the night of Aug. 22 and detained him without resistance. Police said they recovered a phone that had allegedly been reset, a screwdriver said to have been used in the break-in, a rice container and a rented Honda Vario motorcycle that had not been returned for nine days.

Police also said ASJ admitted acting alone during initial questioning. They said they are examining whether he was involved in other thefts reported in Sernaru and nearby areas.

According to the police account, those other allegations include a burglary on Aug. 6 at the home of Bruno Kosten, a reported theft on Aug. 10 involving three phones and cash, an Aug. 20 break-in at Warung Mie Ayam Pepeng, and several earlier phone thefts from homes in the Sernaru farming area in July.

Legal process

Police said the case is being processed under child-protection rules, with a parent or guardian and the Women and Children Protection Unit involved in questioning. Officers also said the suspect was being held at West Manggarai Police headquarters.

The force said it is pursuing charges under Articles 477(1)(f) and 476 of the Criminal Code, which it said carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. The investigation is continuing, including efforts to trace property allegedly taken and to question people suspected of receiving or holding the items.

Local media reports dated Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 matched the police account on the arrest, the suspect’s age, the Sernaru location, the reported victims and the list of alleged break-ins under review. The reporting also said police linked the suspect to the theft of gold and rice from the home targeted after the Aug. 19 complaint.

Sources

• Detik Bali
• Viva
• TribrataNews NTT / Humas Polda NTT