Police investigation has revealed that motorbike thieves took only 13 seconds to fatally attack a group of ‘street guardians’ in a murder that rocked Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday night.

A press conference regarding the serious case was organized on Tuesday, chaired by Major General Phan Anh Minh, deputy director of the municipal Department of Police.

According to the police official, the incident happened at around 8:30 pm on Sunday in front of a house on Cach Mang Thang 8 Street in District 3.

Two thieves traveling on a Yamaha Exciter was strolling along the street when they spotted a Honda SH scooter parked on the sidewalk.

As they were about to steal the vehicle, a group of seven ‘street knights’ jumped in and besieged them, before the two fought back with a knife.

Major General Phan Anh Minh (L), deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Police, talks to the press on May 15, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Two ‘street knights’ were killed and three others seriously injured as a result, while the thieves managed to flee the scene.

Footage extracted from nearby security cameras indicated that the attack lasted for about 13 seconds, Maj. Gen. Minh stated.

Officers from nine districts across the city were mobilized to help with the case.

It was difficult to identify the suspects as the incident happened at night, causing CCTV footage to be blurry, an investigator said.

“We were able to see the license plate of their motorbike, but it turned out to be a fake,” he added.

The motorbike of the two suspects is confiscated by officers. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Following 12 hours of relentless effort, officers could identify the first prime suspect, 24-year-old Nguyen Hoang Chau Phu, on Monday morning.

The second suspect was later identified as Nguyen Tan Tai, also 24, who was arrested the same night.

At the police station, Phu and Tai admitted that they were the two motorbike thieves, while Tai also claimed he was the one who stabbed the ‘street knights.’

Officers have confiscated their Yamaha Exciter, a mobile phone, and a knife.

Police are finalizing the case file to begin legal proceedings against the suspects.

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