The Cimahi Police have unveiled harrowing details in the brutal murder of ZAAQ, a 14-year-old junior high school student whose body was tragically discovered on Friday, February 13, in the desolate former tourist area of Kampung Gajah, Parongpong, West Bandung Regency. The investigation revealed a chilling attempt by the perpetrators, who were shockingly friends of the victim, to conceal their heinous crime through a calculated deception involving fake kidnapping messages.
The two suspects, identified as YA (16) and AP (17), allegedly used the victim’s own mobile phone to send misleading messages to ZAAQ’s family and friends, falsely claiming, “I’ve been kidnapped.” Cimahi Police Chief AKBP Niko Adi Putra elaborated on this sinister tactic, explaining that these messages were deliberately dispatched after the victim had already been left at the crime scene. “The victim’s phone was taken by the perpetrators and used to chat with several of his friends, stating ‘I’ve been kidnapped,’ as if the victim was still alive,” Niko stated during a press conference on Sunday, February 15, highlighting the perpetrators’ cynical effort to fabricate an alibi and divert suspicion.
The gruesome discovery that initiated the case occurred when two individuals, ironically engaged in a live TikTok broadcast within the abandoned Kampung Gajah complex on that fateful Friday, stumbled upon the body. Initially, a pungent odor led them to believe they had found an animal carcass. However, a closer inspection revealed the horrifying truth: the lifeless body of a young male.
During their swift operation, police apprehended the perpetrators and seized crucial evidence linked to the murder. Among the items recovered were the victim’s jacket and his mobile phone, the very device used to craft the deceptive messages. Furthermore, law enforcement officers confiscated a dagger, employed to fatally stab the victim, and a bottle, used to bludgeon the victim’s head.
The police investigation meticulously pieced together the sequence of events leading to the tragic death. The incident began when suspect YA invited ZAAQ to meet in the former Kampung Gajah area. They proceeded to a more secluded spot where a heated argument escalated violently. Without warning, YA allegedly struck the victim with a bottle, causing him to fall. The assailant then repeatedly stabbed ZAAQ with a knife that had been brought to the scene, a chilling indication of premeditation.
Following the brutal assault, the perpetrators callously stripped the victim of his jacket and mobile phone before fleeing the scene. According to the suspects’ confession, ZAAQ was still alive when they abandoned him. YA then reportedly met with his accomplice, confessing to the murder before both returned to Garut. Later that same night, the perpetrators activated ZAAQ’s phone, sending the fabricated “I’ve been kidnapped” messages to his contacts. This calculated move was seemingly designed to buy them time, confuse the family, and postpone any immediate suspicion.
The following day, unease turned into alarm for ZAAQ’s family when he failed to return home. As their concern mounted, the perpetrators were eventually confronted by the local community head (Ketua RT) and questioned about ZAAQ’s whereabouts. However, they vehemently denied any knowledge, attempting to maintain their elaborate facade.
Ultimately, the intricate web of deceit unraveled, and the Cimahi Police disclosed the shocking motive behind the senseless killing. The investigation concluded that the murder was fueled by the perpetrators’ profound resentment and hurt after the young victim expressed his desire to end their friendship. A simple disagreement tragically escalated into a deadly act, robbing ZAAQ of his future.
Summary
The Cimahi Police have revealed the brutal murder of 14-year-old ZAAQ by his friends, YA (16) and AP (17), in the former Kampung Gajah area. The perpetrators attempted to conceal their crime by using the victim’s own mobile phone to send misleading “I’ve been kidnapped” messages to his family and friends. This deceptive tactic was employed after the victim had already been left at the crime scene.
The investigation concluded that the murder was fueled by the suspects’ resentment and hurt after ZAAQ expressed a desire to end their friendship. YA allegedly struck ZAAQ with a bottle before fatally stabbing him with a dagger. Police recovered the victim’s jacket, phone, the dagger, and the bottle used in the assault as crucial evidence.