Police Arrest Mastermind of Student Gang Behind Fatal Stabbing

Yogyakarta police have apprehended SR, a 19-year-old fugitive accused of orchestrating the escape of a student gang responsible for a fatal stabbing. SR, an alumnus of the same school as the attackers, was captured on Monday in Gondokusuman, Yogyakarta, after evading authorities for three days.

According to Komisaris Riski Adrian, head of the Yogyakarta Police Criminal Investigation Unit, SR acted as a go-between, arranging a safe house in Cilacap, Central Java, for the suspects. The suspects themselves did not know the owner of the safe house; SR facilitated their escape through contacts made during previous encounters in Yogyakarta.

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SR's role was as a liaison with his friend who owned the house in Cilacap, where the perpetrators were hiding at the time.

SR's evasion tactics involved constant movement between hiding places, making his capture challenging. Police records indicate SR has a history of similar offenses, having previously been involved in street crimes resolved through restorative justice. However, he has now reoffended.

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SR had not returned home for three days since the stabbing incident; he kept moving locations to evade officers.

During the escape, SR rented a car, which has since been confiscated by the police. Investigators are also examining the financial aspects of the escape, seeking to determine who funded the operation or if there was a collective effort to raise money among the group.

Authorities are still pursuing three other individuals who were present during the stabbing incident. The victim, identified as AA, 18, died on May 17, 2026, after being attacked in the Kotabaru area. The incident reportedly stemmed from a misunderstanding related to a planned schoolyard brawl.

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He had been involved in similar cases before but they were finalized in court because the cases were resolved through RJ (restorative justice), but now he has repeated it.