Police said an American man named Thomas Charles Flach Jr. intercepted and damaged a cop car in Denpasar yesterday. The same man previously made headlines on the island for claiming to be broke and stranded in Bali.
Yesterday, drama involving the 44-year-old Pennsylvania-born man began when he allegedly attempted to burglarize the statue shop Falino Gallery Bali.
According to Bali Police spokesman Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto, Flach entered the gallery and sat cross-legged by some statues.
“He sat there for quite a while,” he said as quoted by DetikBali.
Gallery owner Fajar Subagio, 57, approached Flach before he called the police. As Fajar was making the call, Flach suddenly exited the premises, clutching a statue.
“Eventually, he was intercepted by one of the owners, who managed to convince him to put the statue back. But Flach made another attempt to grab the statue, only to be thwarted by the owner’s child,” Bayu added.
Moments later, at around 11am, the sound of a police car siren echoed at the location. Seizing an opportunity, Flach dashed onto the road, flagging down the official vehicle. He proceeded to strike the vehicle’s hood and snatched a flag that was attached to the car.
Flach was soon arrested and taken to the Bali Regional Police HQ, where he was provided with an interpreter. The property damage case is being handled by the General Crimes Investigation Directorate at the Bali Regional Police.
Bayu confirmed to Coconuts Bali that police have contacted immigration authorities and representatives of the US Embassy regarding Flach’s arrest.
Meanwhile, Denpasar Immigration Office Chief Tedy Riyandi confirmed that Flach is the same American man who, earlier this week, sought shelter at a villa in Jimbaran after claiming to be broke. The villa turned him away.
