JEDDAH: Makkah police have arrested a gang of four Arab expats who robbed 18 houses in the Al-Taneem neighborhood of Makkah.

With assistance from the director of the Makkah police, Col. Saeed bin Salem Al-Qarni, the police were able to identify the criminals using fingerprint evidence left at the crime scenes.

Members of the gang confessed to the crimes during preliminary investigations, saying they had been targeting houses and waiting until homeowners left on weekends.

Investigations revealed two of the members had a criminal record. All four were transferred to the Al-Taneem police after confessing to the robberies.

According to police spokesman Col. Ati Al-Qurashi, the four individuals were investigated for potential involvement in other incidents and then referred to the relevant authorities.

Girl stabs dad

In a separate and unrelated incident, a girl in her 20s tried to commit suicide by jumping from the second floor of a building after stabbing her 60-year-old father in his chest on Tuesday in Taif.

The spokesman for Makkah police said that the Al-Sharqiyah police station in the Taif governorate had received a report of a Saudi girl in her 20s who had jumped from a building.

“The police responded to the report promptly. They found the girl had stabbed her 60-year-old father in his chest and then jumped from the second floor,” the spokesman told local media.

He added the girl and her father were moved to hospital and their conditions were described as stable. The case has been referred to the relevant authorities.

The Saudi Red Crescent Authority moved the girl to King Faisal Hospital. She is suffering from two fractures, one in the thigh and the other in the leg.