newspost
- Aussie tourist allegedly hijacks SUV in Bali
- Pedestrian hit and car found torched
- READ MORE: Moment firefighters scramble to put out Balinese car fire
By MAX ALDRED, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Published: | Updated:
A heavily tattooed Australian was drunk and violent when he hijacked an SUV and struck two people in a late-night joyride, Balinese police allege.
The man, identified by local police only as WRJ, allegedly stole the Toyota Avanza outside a hotel in Seminyak about 1.30am on Sunday.
The Australian is alleged to have stolen the vehicle from a security guard who parked it outside hotel Eden the Residence at the Sea.
Chief of the North Kuta Police, Pasek Sudina, revealed fresh details of the Australian’s alleged joyride, before the car was found torched later in the morning.
The Australian, intoxicated, had been acting aggressively in the lead-up to the carjacking, he alleged.
WRJ allegedly choked a security guard nearby, before the Avanza’s owner fled his car, leaving the keys in the ignition.
The Australian allegedly then entered the car and drove away, before the owner and a security guard gave chase on a motorcycle.
During the chase, they claimed the Avanza struck a foreign pedestrian and made off down an alley.
A late-night confrontation unfolded outside a Bali villa as an allegedly drunk Australian (above, talking with police) became aggressive with staff
Security guards say the man lashed out before allegedly jumping into a parked SUV and speeding off (above, the car discovered burnt out on Sunday morning)
The guards returned to the Eden villa complex and attempted to track the car using a phone believed to have been left inside it.
They were led to a road 8km east of the hotel but neither the Australian nor the car was found.
Firefighters later discovered it nearby, burning beside a building.
Police visited Eden the Residence and arrested RJW at a villa inside the complex.
Management at the villa complex told police their suspect had been involved in other disturbances before the alleged incident on Sunday.
‘One of the other security personnel told us he was choked by the suspect during an earlier confrontation… residents and witnesses described him as intoxicated and out of control,’ Police Chief Sudina said.
‘During the escape, the suspect hit another foreign national and attempted to flee through a narrow alley. He was eventually apprehended… and taken to the station for legal processing.’
Police Chief Sudina said the victim lost about $14,000 in the alleged theft.
The tourist was later arrested at the Eden Residence in Seminyak and is now facing serious charges as police investigate (pictured)
During a chase, the vehicle is believed to have hit at least one bystander as it tore through narrow streets, before it was discovered engulfed in flames (pictured)
‘The North Kuta Police Criminal Unit has detained the foreign suspect for intensive interrogation related to suspected assault, destruction of property, and theft,’ he said.
Police are now working with immigrations officials to ascertain the Australian’s visa status and consider their next move.
‘The North Kuta Criminal Unit will transfer the case, including the suspect and the evidence, to Badung District Police for further investigation and prosecution,’ Police Chief Sudina said.
Footage from the scene showed the Avanza engulfed in flames tucked against the side of a building as flames burned an overhead awning.
Firefighters from two trucks turned their hoses on the SUV and the building beside it.
The car was completely destroyed in the fire, with the interior burnt away and the windows outwardly shattered in the blaze. The home suffered minor damage.
The Australian was arrested and taken to North Kuta Police Station and was questioned by police on Monday.
