Bangkok: Police are urgently searching for three teenagers using CCTV footage across Udon Thani after they severely injured a grass jelly vendor in a knife attack. The image shows three teenagers riding a motorcycle, three on one bike. They first circled from in front of Wattana Hospital to scout the victim's location before turning left towards Udon Thani Hospital. Less than 10 seconds later, they returned to where the victim was resting on a park bench, guarding his jelly cart. The middle passenger, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and the passenger in the white shirt jumped off and attacked the victim. The middle passenger slashed the vendor five times with a sword, while the passenger in the white shirt kicked him once. Afterward, they quickly fled on the motorcycle.
According to Thai News Agency, following the incident, police from Udon Thani City Police Station, along with patrol officers from the 191 emergency medical services unit, rescue workers from Udon Thani Hospital, and volunteers from the Udon Thani Sawang Metha Thammasathan Foundation, rushed to the scene to investigate. At the scene, Mr. Jirapong, 29, a grass jelly vendor, was found with four stab wounds: one on his neck, one on his right shoulder, and two on his right upper arm. Emergency medical personnel provided first aid and urgently transported him to Udon Thani Hospital.
Mr. Siriphon, 37, an eyewitness, recounted that he was in line to buy a crepe when he saw three teenagers, no older than 20, riding a motorcycle. Two of them got off and attacked him with a knife, slashing him multiple times before fleeing. He tried to chase after them in his car, but realizing he couldn't catch them, he decided to return to the scene. He doesn't know what the attackers' problem was, but he believes they likely had a specific target.
According to initial investigations, Pol. Col. Pattanawong Chanpol, Superintendent of Udon Thani City Police Station, provided information via telephone stating that the investigative and crime prevention unit received a report on the evening of June 19th that a group of teenagers were involved in a brawl near the fishing pier, or on the Thesa Road side of Nong Prachak Silpakom Lake. The injured party intervened to stop the fight, which is believed to have angered the other teenagers and led to the physical assault. However, other possible motives have not been ruled out. Police will review CCTV footage and pursue the perpetrators for legal action.