A suspected thief in Indonesia sparked a terrifying hostage drama after a failed escape attempt ended with him holding a 65-year-old woman at machete-point in Kotapinang, South Labuhanbatu.
The tense standoff unfolded on Tuesday evening (6 Jan) and was captured on video, which has since gone viral on social media.
Footage shows a man in a white t-shirt gripping the elderly woman in a headlock on the front porch of a house, while brandishing a machete at nearby onlookers.
Terrified residents and police officers could be heard shouting at him to calm down, fearing the woman would be harmed.
Source: @andreli_48 on Instagram
At one point, a bystander lunged at the suspect, causing both him and the hostage to fall to the ground.
Seizing the moment, several residents rushed in and subdued the man.
According to South Labuhanbatu Police Public Relations Officer AKP Sujono, the incident began at about 6pm along Kalapane Road.
Residents had spotted a suspicious man and tried to stop him.
Cornered by the crowd and armed with a machete, the suspect forced his way into a nearby house while attempting to escape, Indonesian news outlet IDN Times reported.
Inside, 65-year-old Darmawati was cooking in the kitchen with a friend, Salma Hasibuan. They then heard shouts of “Thief! Thief!” coming from outside.
Ms Salma went to investigate and found a young man hiding behind the house. After questioning him, the man begged for help before suddenly rushing into the kitchen.
Fearing for her safety, Ms Salma fled the house to seek help, leaving Ms Darmawati behind.
Residents who entered the house were confronted by the suspect wielding a machete.
He grabbed Ms Darmawati by her clothing, locked her in a headlock, and threatened the crowd.
Source: @andreli_48 on Instagram
“Don’t come closer. I’ll kill her,” he was heard shouting, warning that he would take her life if anyone tried to attack him.
The suspect then dragged Ms Darmawati onto the front terrace, still holding the machete as dozens of residents gathered around.
After residents and officers managed to overpower the suspect as seen in the viral video, Ms Darmawati was freed and escaped without serious injuries.
Police later identified the suspect as Nurmansyah Barus, also known as Panca, aged 33.
He has been arrested and is currently held at the Kotapinang Police Station, with investigations ongoing.
Also read: Knife-wielding man robs gold shop in Thailand, holds customer hostage at knifepoint
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Featured image adapted from @andreli_48 on Instagram.