The Resident of North Toraja Loses More Than Rp70 Million When Their House is Burgled During Christmas Service

North Toraja, thekabarnews.com—The theft happened in North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, during the Christmas 2025 celebrations. On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the criminals entered into the home of Yohanis Andri, 42, who lives in Tondon District. He was at church for Christmas service at the time.

The victim lost more than Rp70 million worth of property because of the incident during the Christmas service. CCTV cameras set up around the victim’s house caught the robbery on tape.

Iptu Ruxon Pasabuan, the Head of Criminal Investigation at North Toraja Police, confirmed what happened. “That is confirmed; a theft crime happened on December 25th in the Tondon District, while the homeowner was celebrating Christmas,” he remarked on Friday, December 26, 2025.

The CCTV footage shows that the person who did it seems to be operating alone. They had on a batik shirt, black pants, shoes, and a helmet. The perpetrator used a tool believed to be a crowbar to break the door.

“The break-in happened rather swiftly, and the thieves got away with many costly things that belonged to the victim,” Ruxon said.

The victim did not find out that their home had been broken into until late in the afternoon. The victim’s child had gone home earlier to feed the animals and found the house in a mess. The residence’s doors bore marks from sharp items, appearing to have sustained damage.

After the assessment, the victim discovered that several important goods were missing. There was Rp11 million in cash, Rp30 million in gold jewelry, a Sony DSLR camera for Rp30 million, and a projector worth Rp5 million among these things. The total losses were greater than Rp70 million.

“The victims’ total losses are thought to be more than Rp70 million. Ruxon remarked, “This event caused trauma for the families in addition to material losses because it happened during the holy time of Christmas.”

Police have looked into the crime scene and gotten CCTV footage as the key piece of evidence. The North Toraja Police Criminal Investigation Unit is still looking into the crime. They are working to find out who did it and where they are.

The theft of unoccupied homes during Christmas services in North Toraja is not a new occurrence. It causes victims to lose amounts exceeding Rp70 million each time. In 2022, there were similar incidents in the Tallunglipu and Rantepao areas. In 2024, it happened again on Tallunglipu Main Road.

The police are asking everyone to be more careful, especially when they leave home for a long time. Residents are encouraged to either double-lock their doors or give their homes to their neighbors. This can help keep similar crimes from happening.