PETALING JAYA: The cause of death of an elderly snatch theft victim who reportedly sustained severe injuries in Bangsar was confirmed as pneumonia or lung inflammation
The victim, Lim Foong Mei, passed away on December 30, 2024.
She was receiving medical treatment at the University Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) for serious bleeding on her head following the incident.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Datuk Azry Akmar Ayob explained the new development in the case has been informed to the Deputy Public Prosecutor while verifying the matter.
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“We have referred the case back to the State Prosecution Office for further instructions.
“In the meantime, we have recorded statements from two individuals, including a medical officer who treated the victim as well as a caretaker from a private care facility.
“As of now, the victim’s cause of death we have obtained is pneumonia,” he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.
The police are currently waiting for further instructions from the Deputy Public Prosecutor regarding changing the classification of the case to murder or otherwise.
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Lim, 78, was headed to a shop in Jalan Limau Manis, Bangsar on foot at around 6.30am on October 7, 2024 when a motorcyclist snatched her handbag.
The incident was captured by closed-circuit television footage, showing Lim falling down and lying motionless on the road as a result of the incident.
Several members of the public in the vicinity came to her aid and rushed her to the University Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) for treatment due to head injuries.
The suspect, M. Thanabalan, 38 has since been arrested and charged in court.
He pled guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on October 24 to robbery charges involving a handbag and intentionally causing harm to the victim.
He was charged under Section 394 of the Penal Code.
