MADINAH, 21 January 2006 — A suspect in a series of burglaries and one attempted rape in Madinah has been arrested near Taif, Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
Police told the Arabic language daily that they have arrested a man whose features matched the description issued by Madinah authorities who interviewed witnesses, including a woman who nearly became a rape victim when the thief caught her at home alone.
Taif police did not reveal the suspect’s identity, but said they caught him with a knife, a hammer and SR450 in cash.
The suspect, who allegedly had signs of injuries sustained by wrangling with people in Alkharma, a village near Mandiah, was expected to be handed over to Madinah authorities for interrogation.
In his latest crime, the serial burglar had tried to rape a Saudi woman with a knife when she opened the door of her house thinking that the person knocking at the door was her maid.
The woman had sent her maid to the local market to buy some goods.
When she found a stranger at her doorstep, she attempted to close the door quickly but the criminal broke in and tried to rape her, threatening her with a knife. The woman fought back and called for help. The assailant fled the scene.
The serial burglar sent shockwaves among people of the city, causing them to step up security measures. Victims that have caught the burglar in the act have described him as an “aberrant and fearful man”, Al-Madinah reported yesterday, quoting investigators. They said the man fears strong resistance from victims.
Police believe that the burglar is not a professional criminal. Witnesses interviewed said they observed the man breaking into houses in the morning hours when male members of the family were away at work.
Madinah police launched a manhunt for the criminal and distributed a description of the suspect, who carried out at least 10 burglaries in the area. The victims also said that the man was afraid of hearing cries of men and women.
Police gathered evidence and interviewed eyewitnesses and deputized undercover police officers in the area in an attempt to catch the criminal.
