Two men have been arrested and charged with the fatal stabbing and robbery of a 26-year-old pedestrian who refused to hand over his new model iPhone in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area on Wednesday night.
Kittikorn Wikaha, 26, who has a long criminal record, was apprehended in Nonthaburi about 10pm on Thursday, and Supatchai Chansri, who was allegedly driving the motorcycle, was reportedly caught on Friday by Khok Khram police in Lat Phrao.
The victim, Wasin Luangjaem, 26, was slain in Soi Sukhonthasawat 27 late on Wednesday night. CCTV footage showed he was attacked by two men who approached him on a motorcycle. Wasin fought back. One of the men is seen to stab him in the neck and Wasin fell to the ground.
The assailants stole only their victim's iPhone 7, leaving behind his wallet and cash.
Kittikorn was taken back to the scene for a crime re-enactment on Friday. He was met by a large, angry crowd, some carrying signs demanding he be sentenced to death. (continues below)
Police cordon off the crime scene at the entrance of Soi Sukhonthasawat 27 in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district, where murder suspect Kittikorn Wikaha, only recently released from prison, was taken for a re-enactment on Friday. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
The suspect was arrested at Ua-Athorn housing estate on Soi Wat Koo in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told a media briefing on Friday.
Police also seized as evidence a motorcycle with no licence plate, a knife, a half-face crash helmet, a BB gun, an iPad, an iPhone 7, an iPhone 5, a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and 340 baht cash.
Kittikorn was charged with murdering and robbing Wasin on the night of Jan 4.
Pol Lt Gen Sanit said a combined team of investigators from Khok Khram and Chok Chai police stations had tracked him down.
The suspect allegedly admitted to having knifed Wasin to death. He saw the victim walking along the street and using a smartphone. Mr Kittikorn said he got off the motorcycle and walked toward him, pretending to ask for directions, according to police.
When Wasin turned back to look at him, the suspect said, he threatened him with a knife and demanded Wasin hand over the iPhone 7. The victim resisted and fought back, so he stabbed him in the neck, Kittikorn said.
He claimed he had no intention to stab the victim. If he had not resisted him he would not have died.
Kittikorn told police he was a fruit vendor in Nonthaburi. Sales were poor and he had no money to pay off his debts. He persuaded a friend to join him in a series of street robberies.
Police alleged the suspect carried out two more robberies shortly after stabbing Wasin. He stole an iPhone 5 from a woman in Chok Chai area about 1.45am on Jan 5 and robbed another woman of a bag containing a Samsung smartphone and 5,000 baht cash shortly after, around 2.30am, in a nearby street.
The two women showed up to identify the suspect during the media briefing.
Police said Kittikorn had a criminal record, having been jailed eight times on various offences, including pornography, illicit drugs, intrusion and physical assault since he was 13 years old. He was released from prison last month.
Daily News Online reported on Friday afternoon that Khok Khram police, in Lat Phrao district, had arrested the second suspect, Supatchai Chansri. Police would announce further details at a media briefing later on Friday, the report said.
An angry crowd gathers at the scene of the crime re-enctiment on Friday, many holding up signs saying "Killer deserves the death penalty"' as police cordon off the area in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)