Thanks to the widespread sharing of the suspect’s image in the social media, police on Tuesday arrested the bus driver suspected of fatally assaulting and robbing a passenger last Saturday.
The suspect, 26-year old Watcharin Prathumporn, was arrested by police in Ban Chokkwang, Tambon Nong Saeng, Wapee Pathum district of Maha Sarakham after a tipoff from a netizen who recognized the suspect from the image shown on social media.
Watcharin was detained at Wapee Pathum district police station while awaiting to be escorted to Payak Poompisai police station, close to where the crime took place.
A driver of Roi-et Chalermkiatsawat company which operates the Roi-et-Buri Ram bus route, Watcharin allegedly beat up Mrs Boonpeng Panyo, a resident of Surin province, the last passenger on the bus, and then robbed her of her valuables.
He then drove the bus into a dirt road in Tambon Naseenuan, Payak Poompisai district, but it got stuck in the muddy road surface prompting him to abandon the bus. He, however, first carried the victim out of the bus and dumped her in bushes about 20 metres away.
The victim was later found and rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
