A brave car guard and a security official at a mall chased after armed robbery suspects as they were fleeing after allegedly robbing a clothing retail store on Friday evening, 22 June 2018.
According to police information at about 17:00, just as the store was closing in Pier 14 Shopping Complex in Port Elizabeth, 4 men entered the store and pretended to be customers. One of the men then pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the three staff members and ordered them into the storeroom. The suspects then started loading clothing, cell phones and other items from the racks into tog bags.
They fled the store also taking cash with them. The security guard at the mall was alerted and as the suspects were running out he ran after them. A car guard who saw him chasing after the suspect joined in the chase and managed to arrest one of the suspects. Two bags of clothing was recovered. The estimated value of the recovered property is about R16000.
An unknown amount of money was taken. The other two suspects managed to escape with another tog bag of clothing and cell phones. No one was injured in the incident.
The suspect, a 23 year old was detained on a case of armed robbery and will appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrates’ court on Monday, 25 June 2018.
The Cluster Commander for Mount Road Major General Thembisile Patekile has commended the car guard and praised him for his brave actions.
‘We really appreciate his efforts in arresting the suspect Putting his life in danger as the suspects were armed. His actions were selfless as he didn’t even think of himself but rather to assist the security guard. This is what community policing is all about. – keeping your eyes and ears open to anything suspicious going on around you,’ added Major General Patekile.
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