SUNGAI PETANI: The 13-year-old boy detained in connection with a botched robbery of an elderly e-hailing driver here on Monday, has been released on police bail.
Kuala Muda district police chief Zaidy Che Hassan said the juvenile was released today after the one-day remand order granted by the court to the police ended today.
"He was released on police bail while waiting for further instruction from the deputy public prosecutor's office after we submit the investigation paper," he said when contacted.
Meanwhile, a source familiar with the case investigation said police did not find any trace of illegal substance on the boy based on a urine test.
"Urine test on the boy turned out negative. At the moment, police believe the boy had resorted to the act of violence in a fit of anger for being lectured by the e-hailing driver.
"The boy has no prior disciplinary record. It is likely that he had resorted to attacking the driver with a knife kept in his bag, purely out of rage after being scolded by the e-hailing driver," said the source.
It is learnt that the student of a secondary school here, is the eldest of four siblings, with his father working as a lorry driver while his mother, a homemaker.
Yesterday, it was reported the 65-year-old e-hailing driver was stabbed by the boy near Taman Keladi on Monday.
However, the man escaped unharmed after turning the tables on the teenager by biting his arm, forcing him to flee.
Zaidy was reported as saying that in the late afternoon incident, the driver had picked up the boy in Taman Keladi for a drop-off in Bandar Sri Astana.
During the journey to Bandar Sri Astana, the passenger asked if he could borrow RM50 to pay rent.
The driver told the boy that if he didn't have the money, he would have to be dropped off at that location but the juvenile instead asked the driver to take him to his house in Bandar Sri Astana for him to get the money to pay for the ride.
However, upon arriving in Bandar Sri Astana, the boy requested to be driven back to Taman Keladi and gave RM20 to the driver for the RM18 ride but when the driver tried to return the change, Zaidy said the teen threatened to stab the driver's left chest, in an attempt to snatch money from his pocket.
The driver acted swiftly by grabbing the knife and biting the teenager's hand in self-defence, causing the boy to flee.
Video footage of the incident recorded through the vehicle's 'dashcam' showed the boy attempting to stab the driver but the tip of the knife struck the seatbelt instead.
Police subsequently detained the boy two hours after the victim lodged a report and seized a 25-centimetre-long knife carried by the teenager.
The case is being investigated under Section 393 of the Penal Code for attempted robbery.