KLANG: The slain suspect who fired shots at a mall in Setia Alam was responsible for a crime spree reminiscent of the video game "Grand Theft Auto (GTA)".
The suspect was known as "Ah Boy," and while armed with pistols would carjack victims at gunpoint and use the stolen vehicles to commit other crimes in a pattern continued through a series of offences.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the suspect was responsible for at least 15 robberies since the middle of last year.
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"He committed his first theft in 2014. Sometimes he worked in groups, but since last year he operated solo. Among his crimes were robberies at goldsmiths in Kajang and Klang," he said at a press conference at the Pulau Ketam Jetty on Tuesday (Feb 18).
After the shooting at the mall in Setia Alam, the suspect fled to Melaka by forcing an e-hailing driver to take him there, he said.
"He was there for five days before going to Banting, Selangor. Two days ago, he broke into a house in Sabak Bernam and stole a motorcycle.
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"We believe he forced lorry and e-hailing drivers to drive him along the way, including to Klang before heading to Pulau Ketam," he said.
The suspect checked into a hotel in Pulau Ketam on Monday (Feb 17) night, Comm Hussein said.
"When the police officers raided the hotel room at 3am, the suspect fired several shots, forcing the police to return fire. He was killed in the shootout," he said.
Comm Hussein said he did not rule out the possibility that the suspect was planning to flee the country.
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"We do not discount the fact he was planning to rob a goldsmith’s or other premises before the shooting at the mall in Setia Alam, given his prior cases in his criminal record,” he said.
"He has no connection to the cleaner who was shot. We believe the victim was in a 'wrong place, wrong time' situation," added Comm Hussein.
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Comm Hussein said with the suspect's death, the public need not worry about him being at large anymore.
"We are still investigating where he obtained the pistols," he said.
