MELAKA: A 21-year-old female university student endured a terrifying ordeal after she was chased by a knife-wielding man at the parking bay of a shopping mall in Taman Lagenda here in what Melaka police have described as a random attack on a shopper.
Melaka Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Christopher Patit said the victim told his officers that she did not know the 50-year-old local suspect and had never had any prior dealings with him.
He said that in the drama unfolded at about 9.30pm on Saturday (Feb 7), when the victim fled with her 16-year-old sister into the shopping mall after being approached by the stranger, who behaved aggressively while brandishing a knife.
“Preliminary investigations found that the suspect, who is from Kelemak in Alor Gajah, suddenly shouted and hurled abuse at the victim before chasing her with a knife, causing fear and panic.
“The victim managed to escape unharmed after running into the mall when the suspect fell and discontinued pursuing her,” he said on Sunday (Feb 8).
ACP Christopher Patit added that the victim didn't recognise the suspect and had never seen him before.
He said the suspect was arrested following a police report lodged by the victim in the early hours of Sunday (Feb 8).
"We have also seized a knife and clothing believed to have been used during the incident and obtained closed-circuit television recordings from the parking area and mall entrance to trace the suspect’s movements,” he said.
ACP Christopher Patit said the suspect was detained in the parking area about three hours after the incident, where he had locked himself inside his vehicle before eventually surrendering to police at about 12.25am on Sunday (Feb 8) after his car was surrounded.
