PETALING JAYA, Jan 16 — A school stationery supplier caught in the act of stealing was put under citizen’s arrest after he failed an attempt to escape by jumping off the first floor of a school this morning.

The 39-year-old suspect make a run for it while being questioned for allegedly stealing a teacher’s mobile phone the previous day at the school in Batu 3, Subang Jaya.

Subang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Azlin Sadari said a female teacher at the Kafa Integrasi Nurul Hidayah primary school had earlier discovered her mobile phone missing from her office.

"The school reviewed the closed-circuit television recording and the suspect could be seen stealing the phone before exiting the school,” he said.

Mohammad Azlin said when the suspect returned to the school today at around 9.15am to deliver a batch of stationeries ordered by the students, he was directed to the school’s office by a religious teacher.

"A teacher in the office questioned the suspect who denied stealing the phone.

"The suspect then tried to escape by jumping off the first floor of the building but he was apprehended by bystanders in the area,” said Mohammad Azlin.

The suspect was later handed over to the police who escorted him to his house in Seksyen 13 Shah Alam to recover the stolen phone.