Many motorcycle thieves in Jakarta are plain scary, especially the ones armed with knives, machetes, or even firearms. But there are are also plenty who are just plain inept.
Two thieves, identified as AM (25) and BB (26), were scouting for motorcycles to steal around Menteng, Central Jakarta, just before midnight on Wednesday. They found one unattended motorcycle parked on the terrace of a house belonging to a local resident.
The two then drove away on the motorcycle, beginning a series of comedic screw-ups.
First, they drove right past the motorcycle’s rightful owner, Muhammad Sidik, who was hanging out in an adjacent street.
Sidik then chased the thieves on foot, and wouldn’t have caught up to them if it weren’t for the fact that the motorcycle stopped abruptly after it ran out of fuel.
“AM then helped BB to push the motorcycle. The victim caught up to them and screamed for help,” said Commissioner Ridwan Soplanit, head of the Crime Investigation Unit for the Menteng Police, as quoted by Vivanews yesterday.
AM dishonorably, but understandably, ran away, leaving his partner BB with the motorcycle as a number of local residents were chasing after them. Perhaps BB should’ve let go of the motorcycle as well and made a run for it, but instead he was apprehended by locals who then gave him up to the police.
The police have yet to locate and arrest AM.
