MOSCOW, May 30 (RAPSI) – A man was arrested in Moscow on Thursday for shooting up a Mercedes driver while riding a scooter in downtown Moscow, the Investigative Committee reported on Friday.

According to reports, the man, who used an automatic Stechkin pistol with a silencer to fire at his alleged acquaintance in central Moscow, tried to escape from the site but was detained by a police officer who happened to be in the vicinity.  The off duty policeman rammed the scooter with his vehicle and apprehended the shooter with the help from bystanders.

The victim was described as the owner of several construction firms and property management companies.  A criminal case was opened against the perpetrator on charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms.

According to the investigators, the suspect and the victim are currently involved in a civil litigation dispute. The gunman also owns a business, a law-enforcement source told RIA Novosti.

Several media sources earlier claimed the intended victim was the Mercedes driver’s wife, Polina Yarmolinskaya, a former member of the Krosna Bank management board.