Claiming he feared for his life, a suspected thief who had escaped from a provincial jail on Friday hijacked a boat on its way from Stung Treng to Kompong Cham province, after he opened fire on a crowd, injuring two.
The suspect, Teh Salan, eventually escaped into the jungle in Kompong Cham province, and police Friday afternoon said they were trying to apprehend him.
The incident began early Friday morning when Teh Salan, jailed recently for allegedly stealing roughly 100 military uniforms, got out of jail, stole two AK-47 rifles and two hand grenades from the jail’s guards, shot and injured one guard and then rushed toward the market in Stung Treng town, police and witnesses said. The guard is in stable condition at a provincial hospital, police said.
According to Police Commissioner Tuoch Naroth, the suspect approached his cousin in the market and borrowed a chunk of gold worth $300 and 100,000 riel, saying he wanted to see his wife.
He then ran to the nearby boat dock and shot a passenger who was in his way, Tuoch Naroth said. After opening fire into the air, he took charge of the boat, where 31 passengers were waiting to depart. In order to keep control of the boat and its passengers, Teh Salan then partially engaged his hand grenades, according to the boat’s driver, Sok Mau, who was interviewed Friday afternoon by telephone.
“‘I only want to get away from police,’” Sok Mau said the suspect told passengers. “‘I don’t want to make any trouble for all of you, but I have no other way. I was accused of stealing, but I am innocent. I think I will be killed.
“‘I want to see my family,’” he reportedly said. “‘If I die once I see them, it’s no problem for me.’”
Police said they tried to negotiate with the suspect by radio. But the driver said Teh Salan would not change his plans to escape. The driver said he asked passengers to gather around him and hide him once he disembarked in Kompong Cham town. But some of the passengers told him he would have a better chance at escaping if he got off the boat in the jungle and ran away.
And that is what he did.
Said Police Commissioner Tuoch Naroth: “I passed the message to all the police along the river to investigate this. We will try to find him.”
