Abdulrahman Al-Ali

Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH – Jeddah Police have arrested an Eritrean expatriate on suspicions of breaking into a house with an accomplice and beating up a 60-year-old Yemeni woman. The two Eritreans stole cash and jewelry totally worth over SR83,000 and fled the scene of the robbery.

 

Al-Nuzlatain Police Station received a report by the woman saying that at 11.00 PM two masked men jumped over her wall. They reached her room inside the house and beat her up until she fell to the ground. One of them restrained her while the second began a hasty search. They stole some SR38,300 in cash and jewellery worth SR45,000. The two then fled the scene with their booty.

 

She described her assailants as slim and dark skinned and speaking broken Arabic. The woman confirmed that she would be able to recognize them if they were brought before her.

 

Undercover agents were deployed in the district. Descriptions of the stolen jewels were distributed among gold and jewelry shops. The investigation team combed through records of previous convicts, who are known to carry out such robberies and burglaries.

Finally they focused on a suspect. He was roaming in Al-Misfah District where the crime took place, and surprised the undercover agents when he jumped over the wall of an enclosure, trying to escape. He was pursued and apprehended.

 

He tried hard to evade answering the questions and claimed he did not hold  a residency permit (iqama), but a body search turned out legal identification papers. He was brought before the victim and she recognized him. She said that the man had an accomplice. The man was taken into custody pending investigations on the case.

 

Jeddah Police Spokesman First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq said investigations are under way with the arrested suspect so as to find his accomplice. Al-Bouq called on the public not to neglect safety matters in their homes to prevent burglary.