Woman Arrested For Pretending To Be A Ghost & Scaring Road Users In JB
"We hope this arrest will help reduce public fear of going out at night and using the roads," said the Johor Bahru Selatan police chief.
By May Vin Ang — 20 Aug 2024, 10:49 AM
Police have arrested a 31-year-old homeless woman after dashcam videos of a 'ghost' sighting around Jalan Austin Heights Utama in Johor Bahru went viral on social media
According to the New Straits Times, the police had been seeking the woman for about three weeks after a video of her went viral on 27 July. She was finally apprehended at 10.50pm on Saturday, 17 August.
Johor Bahru Selatan police chief ACP Raub Selamat said preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had been pretending to be a ghost to scare motorists.
She would "ambush" the vehicles and act as though she had been hit, demanding money from the drivers as compensation for the alleged accident, he said.
In the videos posted online, the woman can be seen dressed in dark clothes and rushing in front of moving cars on the road at night.
The police said they conducted patrols to find and arrest the woman after receiving the videos of her frightening road users, but she managed to escape each time
"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 New Straits Times in a press conference on Sunday, 18 August.
The police chief said a background check revealed that the woman had been fined under Section 448 of the Penal Code in 2018.
Further checks also revealed that she had previously been admitted to Sultan Ismail Hospital for accidents and depression.
Preliminary urine tests showed she was negative for drugs.
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
Raub urged any road users who had been extorted by the suspect to file a police report to assist in the investigation.
"We hope this arrest will help reduce public fear of going out at night and using the roads," he added.
