Suspected petty thief kills himself to avoid arrest

A suspected thief committed suicide to avoid being arrested by police.

The suspect, identified as Oscar Monda Omosa aged 21 died after swallowing pesticide, known as acaricide, after the police caught up with him in his hideout at Nyamusi Village in Nyamira North Sub County at around 5 am.

The youth was being sought over allegations of burglary and stealing, an act which the policemen at the Nyamusi AP Post were investigating.

According to the area Sub County Police Commander Timothy Muasya, the suspect had carried with him the acaricide which he consumed immediately after police netted him at his home.

The officers rushed him to Nyamusi Sub County Hospital but efforts by medics to help him were fruitless as he died shortly while undergoing treatment.

It could not be established immediately the kind of items the young man was suspected to have stolen, but the SCPC said they were assorted household items.

Nyamira County Commissioner Amos Mariba decried the rising number of cases of suicide which he said were worrying.

"In a month, we are having between five and 10 people committing suicide and this is something to worry about," Mariba said.

However, the Commissioner said today's case was an isolated one especially owing to the fact that the victim was trying to evade justice.

"Most cases of suicide are commonly as a result of family problems but this one is different because the person involved was a suspected criminal who just wished to die than be taken to court," Mariba said.

The body was taken to Nyamira County Referral Hospital Mortuary where an autopsy is expected to be done.