KUALA LUMPUR: A 32-year-old car thief desperate to escape a police dragnet crashed his car into his girlfriend, abandoned her and fled despite police firing a warning shot on Thursday.
The case occurred at about 5pm in Cheras when the police team approached the suspectâs parked car while he was in the driverâs seat and his 20-year-old girlfriend had stepped out to take items out of the boot.
On sensing police presence, the suspect reversed his car and crashed into his girlfriend before running over her.
Members of the police team warned the suspect to stop and fired a warning shot but the man sped off from the scene.
Police called for an ambulance that sent the injured woman to a hospital for treatment.
Miraculously, she sustained only light injuries and was arrested soon after being discharged from the hospital.
Kuala Lumpur police CID chief SAC Saiful Annuar Yusoff said following the incident, police managed to track down the car thief before nabbing him in Cyberjaya at about 8pm on Monday.
He said the suspect led police to various locations in the Klang Valley where 11 cars reported stolen between 2019 and this year were recovered.
Saiful said the cars, all local models, were estimated to be worth RM130,000.
âOur preliminary investigations show that the suspect had stolen the cars to strip them off their parts which he sold in social media platforms. âChecks also revealed that the man had 17 past criminal records while his girlfriend has three. Both of them are also listed as wanted for crimes and drug-related offences,â he said.
Saiful said besides being investigated for vehicle theft, the man will also be probed for attempted murder.
