A robbery that became a mass-fatality crime
On December 26, 2016, a group of robbers entered the Pulomas home of businessman Dodi Triono in East Jakarta. Eleven people were inside, including members of Dodi's family, a friend of one of his daughters and household staff.
The group forced the victims into a very small bathroom and locked the door. When police and others reached the house the following day, six people were dead and five were alive. ANTARA identified the dead as Dodi Triono, two of his daughters, a friend of one daughter and two drivers. The cause reported in court and news coverage was associated with the victims being sealed in the cramped, poorly ventilated space.
Police identify the robbery group
Investigators quickly linked the crime to a robbery crew led by Ramlan Butar Butar. Police found Ramlan and Erwin Situmorang on December 28. Ramlan died after being shot during the arrest operation; Erwin survived and was taken into custody. Ridwan Sitorus, also known as Ius Pane, was later arrested, and Alfin Bernius Sinaga was prosecuted as the driver.
Because Ramlan died before trial, the criminal proceedings centered on the surviving participants. The archive does not call Ramlan a convicted murderer: he was identified by police as the group leader but never received a trial judgment in this case.
Premeditated-murder convictions
On October 17, 2017, the East Jakarta District Court convicted Ridwan Sitorus and Erwin Situmorang of premeditated murder and sentenced both men to death. The court sentenced Alfin Bernius Sinaga to life imprisonment. The Jakarta Post reported that the court treated Alfin's role differently, describing him as guilty of aiding and abetting while the two other defendants received the most severe punishment.
ANTARA's courtroom report likewise recorded death sentences for Ridwan and Erwin and a life sentence for Alfin. Defense lawyers said they intended to appeal. Because the reliable sources reviewed for this page clearly establish the trial judgments but do not provide a sufficiently verified later appellate history for all three defendants, this archive does not invent or assume a subsequent result.
Why this case is classified as solved
The case is classified as solved/adjudicated because the surviving defendants brought to trial received criminal convictions for the fatal robbery. That classification is about legal responsibility for the incident, not about whether every procedural avenue was exhausted in the sources currently available.
It is also important not to collapse every participant into the same role. Ramlan died before trial, Ridwan and Erwin received death sentences for premeditated murder, and Alfin received life imprisonment based on his participation. Those distinctions are preserved here rather than describing the entire group as if each person had the same adjudicated conduct.
Timeline
December 26, 2016: the robbery group enters Dodi Triono's home in Pulomas and confines eleven people in a small bathroom.
December 27, 2016: the victims are found; six are dead and five survive.
December 28, 2016: police locate Ramlan Butar Butar and Erwin Situmorang. Ramlan dies during the arrest operation; Erwin is captured.
Late December 2016–January 2017: police arrest additional suspects, including Ridwan Sitorus and Alfin Bernius Sinaga.
October 17, 2017: the East Jakarta District Court sentences Ridwan and Erwin to death and Alfin to life imprisonment.
Current status
The latest judicial outcome firmly established by the sources used here is the October 2017 trial judgment: death sentences for Ridwan Sitorus and Erwin Situmorang and life imprisonment for Alfin Bernius Sinaga. The defense announced an appeal. Until a reliable appellate record is verified for each defendant, this page leaves the later procedural status open rather than guessing.
Sources
- ANTARA — East Jakarta court sentences two defendants to death and one to life, October 17, 2017
- The Jakarta Post — detailed report on the Pulomas murder verdicts, October 18, 2017
- The Jakarta Post — verdict and roles of the three defendants, October 17, 2017
- ANTARA — early arrests and identification of the six victims, December 28, 2016
- ANTARA — investigation and premeditated-murder charging strategy, January 19, 2017