KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Police have detained a 31-year-old homeless woman after reports of ‘ghost’ sightings around Jalan Austin Heights Utama.
According to New Straits Times (NST), the woman, who had been sought by police since a video of her went viral on July 27, was apprehended at 10.51pm last night.
Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat told NST that preliminary investigations revealed the woman had been pretending to be a ‘ghost’ to scare motorists.
She would then ‘ambush’ the vehicles and act as though she had been hit. Following this, she demanded money as compensation for the alleged accident.
The police said that on July 27 at approximately 12.30pm, they received a video showing a person dressed as a ghost frightening people by the roadside. They conducted patrols to find and arrest the woman, but each attempt was unsuccessful as she managed to escape quickly.
“Officers reported that the woman would also make spooky noises during these incidents. However, she was successfully apprehended yesterday and is suspected to have mental health issues,” Raub told the paper during a press conference at the district police headquarters today.
“We hope this arrest will help reduce public fear of going out at night and using the roads,” he added.
Police told NST that a background check revealed that the suspect had a criminal record under Section 448 of the Penal Code and had been fined RM1,000 on June 27, 2018. Further checks also revealed that the suspect’s medical records showed admissions to the yellow zone at Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) in 2022 and 2023 for accidents and depression.
The case is being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code, Section 79(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and Regulation 23 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
Road users who have been extorted by the suspect are also urged to file a police report to aid in the investigation.
