Volunteer patrol member helps neighbour catch robber

PETALING JAYA: A woman’s neighbour, who is a member of the Voluntary Patrol Scheme (SRS), not only foiled an attempted robbery at her home in Taman Gasing Indah here but also helped to apprehend the culprit.

The robber had broken into the woman’s cars after jumping into her porch at 8.10am yesterday.

As she emerged from the house to go to work, the man threatened her with a knife and tried to relieve her of the contents in her handbag.

Her immediate neighbour, Alan Woo, 43, said he heard her scream but saw nothing when he stepped out to the balcony to investigate.

“Just as I entered my house she screamed again. That was when I spotted the man pointing a knife to her neck.”

Woo rushed into the house to get his SRS baton and confronted the thief, who ran to the back lane.

A scuffle then ensued, and although cornered, the suspect refused to surrender.

“I didn’t want to hit him with my baton so I told him to squat. Instead, he grabbed a wooden stick and tried to attack me with it.

“I had to hit him on his thigh just to subdue him but he persisted in assaulting me,” he related.

Just then, eight people, comprising residents and people waiting at a nearby taxi stand, came to Woo’s aid.

He sustained minor injuries to his body.

The culprit was later handed over to police.

Checks by the police revealed that the suspect, aged 29, had previous convictions.

He was also arrested for drug possession on March 11.