KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — A foreigner suspected of attempting to snatch a handbag from a kindergarten teacher in Cheras has died after he was allegedly beaten by members of the public.
Kajang district police chief ACP Naazron Abdul Yusof said an emergency call came in at 11.10am on July 22 about an attempted snatch theft in a residential area near Batu 9 Cheras.
The 36-year-old victim, a local woman working as a Kemas kindergarten teacher, was not injured in the incident.
“Upon arrival, police found the suspect unconscious and injured. Medical personnel later confirmed he had died, believed to be due to injuries inflicted by the crowd.
“The victim had no identification documents and is believed to be a foreign national, fair-skinned, around 160 cm tall, wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts with an ‘Adidas’ logo,” he said in a statement.
Paramedics who arrived shortly after confirmed that the man had died, believed to have succumbed to injuries from the alleged assault.
A post-mortem was conducted on the same day, but the exact cause of death remains pending further laboratory analysis by forensic specialists.
Later that evening, police arrested eight local men aged between 22 and 72, believed to be involved in the assault, and obtained a six-day remand order beginning July 23.
The case is being investigated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane if not sentenced to death.
Naazron warned the public to avoid taking the law into their own hands and to promptly alert authorities in such situations.
