The police have arrested a woman believed to have mental health issues after nearly three weeks of viral reports about ‘ghost’ sightings around Jalan Austin Heights Utama.
According to Kosmo, the 31-year-old homeless woman, who the police had sought since the video of her went viral on July 27, was apprehended at 10:51 pm last night (August 17).
Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said preliminary investigations revealed the woman had been pretending to be a ‘ghost’ to frighten road users and then ambushing and kicking any vehicle before pretending to be hit.
Following that, he said, the woman would demand money from motorists as compensation for the alleged accident.
“On July 27, around 12:30 pm, we received a viral video on social media showing an individual resembling a ghost intimidating public vehicles on the roadside.”
“We then conducted patrols to locate and apprehend her. However, we repeatedly failed as the individual fled swiftly,” he said.
“Officers on duty reported that during these incidents, the woman would also make eerie noises. However, we successfully arrested her yesterday, and she is believed to have mental health issues,” he said during a press conference at the district police headquarters.
Raub said a background check revealed the suspect had a criminal record under Section 448 of the Penal Code and had been fined RM1,000 on June 27, 2018.
He said preliminary urine tests showed the suspect was negative for drugs.
“We also checked medical records and found that the suspect had been admitted to the yellow zone at Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) in 2022 and 2023 due to accidents and depression.”
“This morning, we referred the suspect to HSI for further examination of her mental health, and we are awaiting the results,” he added.
Raub said the case is being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code, Section 79(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987 and Regulation 23 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
He urged road users whom the suspect had extorted to lodge a police report to assist with the investigations.
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