KOTA KINABALU: A burglar thought the coast was clear for him to leave the house he had just broken into in Sabah’s interior Keningau district.
He did not count on residents of the housing area, Taman Adika, joining up to stop him from fleeing in his car at about 2.30pm on Monday (Oct 31).
It is learnt that one resident rammed the back of the suspect's car with his four-wheel drive, causing him to stop at the roadside where others waited to apprehend him.
A video of the suspect tied to a streetlight later went viral on social media.
Keningau OCPD Deputy Supt Nor Rafidah Kasim said police were alerted to the incident by the residents.
She said the man, in his 40s, attempted to escape in a car with a fake number plate.
“The public handed over the suspect when police arrived,” she said on Tuesday (Nov 1).
She added that the case was being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for housebreaking and theft.
DSP Nor Rafidah expressed her appreciation for the community’s swift action in catching the suspect.
She also advised the public from speculating on the video as it could jeopardise the investigation.
