KUCHING (Jan 16): A 44-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of violent acts at Taman Sepawie, near Jalan Depot, which included vandalism and arson. The arrest was made earlier today at a house in Jalan Cendrawasih, according to Kuching police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah.
Acting on intelligence, a team from the Gita police station apprehended the suspect following the rampage, which occurred in the early hours of Jan 15. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect was involved in smashing the windows of two cars using rocks and flower pots between 2am and 2.30am.
Additionally, the suspect is being investigated for an arson attack in the same area. A local resident, Jeffrey Sheffrie, shared on Facebook that at least two individuals were spotted during the attacks. They damaged vehicle windscreens and hurled Molotov cocktails into the compound of a house.
The arson caused a fire that damaged the front of the house and a car. Fortunately, the blaze was quickly controlled by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), who arrived at the scene around 3am.
A urine test conducted on the suspect returned positive results for amphetamine and methamphetamine, said ACP Mohd Farhan. The man is currently under remand for further investigation under Section 427 of the Penal Code. If convicted, he faces imprisonment of up to five years, a fine, or both.
Police are urging anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Kuching District Police Headquarters at 082-24444 or reach out to Investigating Officer Insp Logeswara Tharumalay at 018-2914239.
