Criminals were on the prowl over the long weekend, but swift work by armed response officers and community members led to seven arrests and the recovery of stolen goods across the city.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said two suspects, one of them already wanted for alleged housebreaking, were arrested for shoplifting and trespassing in Durban North.
Mathios said a shoplifter wearing a trendy heritage day outfit had brazenly walked out of a local Durban North supermarket on Heritage Day with a trolley loaded with groceries, including braai meat and nappies. “Our officer was despatched to the supermarket where the security guard gave him a description of the suspect and his vehicle, as he had seen him load the groceries into his grey Toyota Etios and drive away. Our officer chased the vehicle and managed to get the suspect to stop in Swapo Road where the driver then identified himself,” Mathios said.
Mathios said the officer then instructed the suspect to accompany him back to the supermarket with the groceries. “The manager of the supermarket then confirmed that the suspect had been seen on CCTV footage pushing the trolley of goods out of the store without paying for them. The suspect could not produce proof of purchase and was arrested and handed over to the Dubran North SAPS,” Mathios said.
Mathios said an officer had responded to a crime scene where a housebreaker had gained entry and was attempting to climb through the open window of a property in Umhlanga Rocks Drive yesterday. “The trespasser turned and fled when our officer arrived, but he gave chase and arrested him further down the road. The suspect, who was already wanted for housebreaking for allegedly previously breaking into the same property, was handed over to the Durban North SAPS.”
Mathios said angry community members assaulted an alleged housebreaker in Morningside after he attempted to break into a business premises in Lilian Ngoyi Road at around 6.35pm on Heritage Day. “Our officer responded to the scene and spotted one of the suspects running past his vehicle, so he jumped out and chased him on foot. The suspect tried to evade arrest by fence hopping through several properties before climbing onto the roof of a house in Elm Road. The community came out to assist the officer, but the suspect found bricks on the roof which he hurled down at them,” Mathios said. “Community members lost their patience with the suspect and climbed onto the roof and assaulted him. Our officer climbed onto the roof, separated the fighting parties and arrested the suspect.”
Mathios said ER24 paramedics had advised that the suspect needed stitches to his head. “The suspect was handed over to the Durban Central SAPS members who took him in custody to hospital for medical treatment,” he said.
Mathios said an armed response officer recovered a car amplifier, a power amplifier, remotes, DVD inputs and DVD’s following the arrest of a housebreaker in Old Main Road in Hillcrest on Saturday at around 5.20am. An officer also recovered a small bar fridge, which was not taken during the housebreaking, when he searched bins and trolleys at the nearby taxi rank. “The burglar smashed a shop window to gain entry onto the business premises and was found hiding in the toilet when our officers arrived at the scene. He had locked himself in the toilet and while our officers were busy kicking down the door, he tried to escape by climbing into the ceiling. He eventually agreed to come out of hiding and face the consequences of his crime,” Mathios said.
Mathios said the suspect was handed over to Hillcrest SAPS at the scene.
In other cases two shoplifters were arrested in Anton Lembede Street after they refused to pay for food that they had allegedly stolen and an alleged housebreaker was arrested in Berea Park Road in Musgrave but released on warning after the victim declined to press charges.
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