Police in Surabaya, East Java have arrested a man who was wanted for assault using a baseball bat, a video of which went viral in Indonesia.
The video, which circulated widely last week, showed the suspect, WF, accosting the assault victim at a parking lot. An acquaintance of the victim captured the moment when WF swung his baseball bat to slap the victim in the face.
The victim reported the incident to the police in the East Java capital but claimed the investigation lacked progress in the following few days. Until, of course, the video went viral.
Police launched a hunt for WF, who proved elusive for a couple of days. They finally arrested him on Sunday evening on a toll road in Central Java.
“The suspect has been charged with assault and is facing up to four years in prison,” Surabaya Police Crime Investigation Unit Head Mirzal Maulana said today.
“The suspect regrets his actions and is ready to face the law.”
Through his lawyer, WF said he was not running from the police and had planned to turn himself in on Monday.
As to what triggered the assault, WF said both he and the victim pulled out from their respective parking spots at the same time and refused to yield. That angered the suspect and prompted him to assault the victim.
The victim reportedly suffered a minor bruise on his right cheek from the baseball bat slap.
