Jakarta, ThedailyID — Police have arrested an 18-year-old man identified as RA for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, 22-year-old MTA, in Lumajang, East Java.
Investigators said the suspect initially tried to divert suspicion by contacting the victim’s neighbor. He claimed he could no longer reach MTA and asked the neighbor to check on her.
“The neighbor found her after receiving a call from the victim’s boyfriend, who said he couldn’t contact her. When they checked the house, she had already died. She was found unclothed in her bedroom,” a family member identified as Diana told detikJatim.
Police later found inconsistencies during the investigation. Those findings led officers to suspect RA, who was later arrested at his home.
Lumajang Police Criminal Investigation Unit chief AKP Ari Aulia confirmed that RA was the victim’s boyfriend.
According to investigators, the suspect attacked the victim with a blunt object. He allegedly struck her with a piece of wood before gagging her and strangling her with a pair of jeans belonging to the victim.
“The suspect hit the victim with a wooden object. He then gagged her and strangled her using the victim’s jeans,” Ari said.
Police believe RA removed the victim’s clothing after her death. Investigators suspect he staged the scene to make it appear as though an unknown assailant had sexually assaulted the victim.
Authorities have charged the suspect under Article 458 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code on murder. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Authorities found MTA’s body on the night of July 4. She was lying on her bed without clothing and had visible injuries.
