In a swift police operation, armed detectives from the Operations Support Unit responded to a distress call, resulting in the death of an armed robbery suspect and the arrest of two accomplices in the Theta area within Juja Sub-County, Kiambu.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday night when three assailants accosted a male victim returning home around 9 pm. Armed with pistols and crude weapons, they forcibly entered his white Toyota Passo, robbing him of the day’s earnings, which had been transferred from his Mpesa account.
Detectives, alerted to the ongoing crime, swiftly moved in, ambushing the three-man gang while they were still inside the victim’s vehicle.
A police statement indicates that the detectives ordered the suspects to surrender but they defied the orders. One of the suspects reportedly exited the car, brandishing a pistol and firing indiscriminately at the officers, prompting a shootout as the detectives acted in self-defense.
The exchange of gunfire left one of the suspects lifeless on the walkway while the other two managed to escape but not without sustaining gunshot injuries.
“When the guns went silent, sprawled on the walkway lay the daredevil thug, lifeless. During the melee, his two accomplices managed to escape but not without perforated behinds,” said the DCI.
Police recovered from the neutralized suspect a pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm caliber. Several spent cartridges were also collected from the scene.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Elijah Mwangi Muthoni, 45, and David Mitamo, 21. Both individuals are believed to be part of the criminal syndicate that has been terrorizing members of the public in the city.
Police said efforts are currently underway to trace and apprehend the two suspects who managed to escape the scene.