Snatch thieves on motorcycles are an unfortunate feature of many Indonesian cities, and often there is little their victims can do but curse at them as they speed away with their valuables. But on Friday, one 15-year-old girl in West Kalimantan refused to just be another victim, instead giving chase to her phone thief, the satisfying — if bloody — results of which can be seen in a video that has since gone viral.
The incident took place on Friday morning in the Sungai Raya sub-district of West Kalimantan, just outside the capital of Pontianak. According to West Kalimantan Police, the girl, a high school student identified as Febrian Alia, stopped at an ATM kiosk at about 11am to get some cash. After she got off her motorcycle, she placed her mobile phone in her pocket but it was immediately grabbed by a thief on a motorcycle.
The alleged thief, who police identified by his initials KY, tried to make a getaway but Febrian wasn’t having it. She hopped on her motorcycle to chase after KY, eventually crashing her vehicle into his in front of a housing complex, causing KY to fall. Local residents helped grab KY to prevent him from escaping again.
As can be seen in the viral video, first shared by Instagram account @pontianakmedia, Febrian seems unphased by whatever injuries led to her bloodied nose and mouth around her mouth as she examines her righteously reacquired phone.
The West Kalimantan Police confirmed the incident and said that KY would likely be imprisoned for several months as the 37-year-old was a recidivist who had been caught stealing several times in the past.
Several media outlets reported that Febrian was actually 14-years-old on the day of the incident — her birthday was apparently the very next day.
