BUTTERWORTH, Dec 19 — A woman was killed after she was attacked and slashed with a machete by a man in the Raja Uda area, Butterworth here this morning.
Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) police chief ACP Mohd Asri Shafie said they received a distress call at 11.10 am that an assailant had slashed the woman in the neck causing serious injuries.
“The victim aged 42 was taken to the Hospital Seberang Jaya (HSJ) and was confirmed dead at 11.58 am while receiving treatment. Preliminary examination revealed cuts on the front of the woman’s neck and left shoulder.
“Her body was taken to the HSJ Forensics Department for an autopsy and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said in a statement tonight.
Mohd Asri said the suspect, a 29-year-old local man, was later caught and arrested after he had jumped into the sea from the Penang Bridge to flee the crime scene.
He said the police team conducting an investigation at the scene came across a closed-circuit camera footage in the area recording the incident and there were also witnesses present.
“Police are appealing to anyone with information about the incident to contact any nearby police station or investigating officer ASP Nasrina Darus on 04 – 576 2222 (extension 2275) to help with the investigation,” he said.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department’s operations centre said they received a call at 11.23 am informing that a person had jumped from the Penang Bridge.
He said a team from the Perai Fire and Rescue Station deployed to the location found a SYM type motorcycle believed to belong to the suspect, abandoned on the road shoulder of the bridge.
However, the firemen soon learned that the man was rescued by a passing fisherman before the case was handed over to police.
In the meantime, a viral video on social media captured the murder suspect trying to jump off the fishing boat again, despite having been rescued, as the boat was en route to the Batu Uban Marine Police Jetty.