Udon Thani: A man has been detained after using a screwdriver to hold a young woman hostage during the robbery of a songthaew, a type of public transport. He later bowed down to apologize to the vehicle’s owner, expressing that he did not intend to commit the act.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident involved Mr. Witawat, also known as Bird, a 30-year-old who believed a driver was pursuing him with the intent to kill. In a state of hallucination, he used a screwdriver to threaten a young passenger in a minibus before hijacking the vehicle on the Udon Thani-Nong Wua So route, operated by Mrs. Udomporn, aged 49. As the situation unfolded, Bird forced both the driver and the child off the bus. Eventually, he abandoned the vehicle when it ran out of gas, leading to his arrest by police on March 3. Following his capture, Mr. Bird expressed remorse, bowing in apology to the minibus driver, who accepted his apology.
The following day, March 4, the Commander of Udon Thani Provincial Police provided a comprehensive statement regarding Bird’s arrest, which included charges of ‘robbery, illegal detention, and indecent assault.’ Bird was then taken to the scene of the crime to reenact his confession.
Mr. Bird shared that he acted impulsively after a conversation with his mother. He confessed to contemplating suicide, reflecting on the incomplete nature of his family life since childhood. His parents’ separation was compounded by his mother’s new relationship and both adults’ drug addiction. He expressed a desire for his mother to cease drug use and focus on caring for his grandmother, whose husband had recently passed away. Bird was troubled by his mother’s absence at the police station, seeking her encouragement but receiving silence instead.