TAWAU: A man who attempted to rob a woman on Jalan Pelabuhan here has been arrested - less than 48 hours after the Sunday incident that went viral.
Tawau District Police Chief ACP Jasmin Hussin said the 38-year-old suspect was detained in the Kg Tanjung Batu Keramat area around 5.40pm on Monday, following information and intelligence gathered through “Op Kesan.”
He said a team from the Strike Team and Criminal Investigation Division arrested the suspect who was found to have two previous criminal records for burglary and drugs.
“During the arrest, the man tried to act aggressively towards the police, resulting in a struggle,” said Jasmin.
He said the suspect was brought to the Tawau District Police Headquarters for further investigations.
A 32-year-old woman lodged a police report following the attempted robbery which involved her being choked by a man at 10am in a parking lot behind a shop building on Jalan Pelabuhan.
According to Jasmin, the victim, a civil servant, was approached by a man who said her car tyre was flat.
“The suspect then entered the victim’s car and a struggle ensued...the suspect choked the victim’s neck and threatened to stab her while attempting to take valuables but was unsuccessful,” he said.
The suspect fled after failing to take the victim’s valuables, following the arrival of passers-by who came to her assistance.
A video clip of the incident recorded by the public went viral on social media.
