Police apprehend American man after alleged theft at Kuta jewelry store
Police in Kuta apprehended a foreigner for allegedly stealing gold at a local jewelry store, shortly after he was surrounded by local residents who accused him of trying to run away from the scene.
“We apprehended a foreign man who is suspected of stealing gold jewelry,” Bagus Nagara Baranacita, who heads Kuta Police’s Crime Investigation Unit, said.
The foreigner, who has been identified by his initials MDP, is a 35-year-old man from the United States. The incident took place at a local jewelry store in Kuta yesterday, where he allegedly took a piece of gold ring without paying.
According to Bagus, MDP pointed to the ring that he’d wanted to the shopkeeper, but as the latter is unable to communicate in English, the two resorted to body language and bargained prices with the help of a calculator.
“However the perpetrator then placed the jewelry in his pocket and immediately tried to leave the scene of the crime,” Bagus said.
As MDP allegedly attempted to escape, the shopkeeper ran after him and asked for help from local residents in the area, which eventually led to MDP being surrounded by at least half a dozen men, one of whom was ready to throw a punch as seen in a video that’s been circulating online.
Luckily, police officers on duty were in the area and quickly moved to take over after receiving a report. MDP was then taken to the Kuta Police station for questioning.
“The perpetrator was not cooperative and has not admitted to his crime, he said it was merely a misunderstanding,” Bagus said.
MDP has yet to be formally declared a suspect. Under Indonesia’s criminal code, he could potentially face a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for theft.
Read more news and updates from Bali here.
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