Teen murder suspect arrested

RASSADA: Police on Saturday arrested another member of the glue-sniffing youth gang wanted in connection with the murder of Keittirat Longnawa, a 31-year-old transsexual and glue addict who was beaten and had his throat slashed January 31.

Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Thitinun “Wung” Vongnayat, arrested in his Rassada home at about 1 am.

Phuket City Police Investigations Inspector Lt Col Adul Nirapai told the Gazette that Thitinun helped beat the victim, but was not among the three youths who stabbed K. Keittirat.

As an adult, Thitinun will be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The arrest is the sixth of the gang’s nine members. The 16-year-old boy who initiated the attack by stabbing K. Keittirat is already in custody, charged in the Phuket Provincial Juvenile and Family Court with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Police are continuing their investigation and preparing to request arrest warrants for the remaining three gang members, including a 14-year-old girl named “Rom” and a 17-year-old boy named “Pol”.

Both are suspected of stabbing the victim and will be charged with premeditated murder as well as conspiracy to commit murder, Col Adul said.