KUALA LUMPUR: In a bizarre theft attempt, a foreigner splashed a large amount of chilli-based liquid on a woman and her young nephew as they were entering their car in the parking lot of a mall in Taman Maluri, Cheras, on Friday.
The liquid, which was laced with chilli seeds, utterly drenched the woman, while a fair amount was also splattered onto the young boy.
Both suffered first degree burns from the scalding solution.
The thief – later identified as a 34-year old illegal Indonesian immigrant – tugged on the woman’s handbag after the assault, but before being able to flee with her loot, she was swiftly tackled and apprehended by an auxiliary policeman who had witnessed the incident.
The mall’s security personnel arrived soon after, and a review of CCTV footage from the carpark led to a shocking discovery – the same thief had accosted and robbed a pregnant shopper earlier in the day.
The incident was confirmed by Cheras police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Mokhsein Mohamed Zon, who told the NSTP that the suspect had been arrested and remanded for 14 days under Section 393 of the Penal Code, and the Immigration Act 1963.
But the full details of the disturbing affair were revealed by Diana Abdullah – another passerby and Samaritan.
In a Facebook post which has gone viral, Diana revealed that she noticed the commotion as she drove into the mall’s parking lot. She said the victim, identified only as Sasha, 44, was soaked in the liquid which was badly stinging her skin and that of her nephew’s.
Diana disclosed that at Sasha’s request, she accompanied her to a police station to lodge a report, before heading to University Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital to treat the victim’s skin, which had turned bright red.
After arriving at the hospital, Diana helped Sasha clean the front interior of her car (which was soggy with the scalding liquid and strewn with chilli seeds), and kept the duo company until their relatives arrived.
Faith in humanity restored!