A burglar was shot dead and another injured on Sunday night during a shootout with police in Prey Veng province after an armed gang of six men carried out a violent robbery at a home in Preah Sdech district, police said.
Following a call from a neighbor, several police were dispatched to the house in Preah Sdech commune while other officers searched the surrounding countryside and spotted three men walking through a rice field in Banteay Chakrei commune about 10 km from the scene, said deputy district police chief Seng Savoan.
“We called out to them to stop and asked them where they were going but one of them pulled an AK assault rifle and started shooting,” he said. Police immediately returned fire, shooting dead one of the suspects and wounding another, though both surviving men managed to escape.
“We have identified the dead burglar and are now investigating to try and find the remaining suspects,” he said, adding that the six men split up into two groups as they fled the scene of the robbery.
Por Sovann, 45, said it was approximately 7:20 p.m. when two burglars burst into his home armed with an assault rifle and an iron bar while he and six other members of his family were watching TV.
“Most of my family members escaped out back but they detained my son and me and fired into the ground and then beat us repeatedly with an iron club,” Mr. Sovann said. He said four members of the gang guarded the house for 20 minutes while inside the other two stole 40,000 riel, or about $10, an ATM card, an identity card and a ring.
Mr. Sorvann said he received multiple injuries to his head, legs and hip, while his 20-year-old son, Horn Sarith, was struck repeatedly with the iron bar on his head, shoulders and torso and was sent to Vietnam for treatment.
Police believe the robbers targeted the house because it was more upscale than surrounding homes.
