Two unlucky skelms from Heideveld are behind bars after they were caught red-handed choking and attacking a cab driver in an attempted hijacking on Wednesday.
Acting Manenberg SAPS commander, Colonel Sanele Zama, says the skelms had bad timing as just moments after they held the driver captive with a fake gun cops happened to be around the corner.
“The two suspects, aged 32 and 34, booked a trip from Heideveld to GrandWest but asked the driver to wait at the corner of 4th Avenue and 5th Street to get money from somebody.
“When they realised they did not have enough money they held him up with an imitation firearm.”
Zama says the two skelms were sitting behind the driver and started choking him.
UNLUCKY: The two Heideveld robbers
“He put his foot down and came fast up 4th Street and was swerving across the road and the officers spotted the maroon Toyota Etios.
“The car hit a pavement and came to stop and two men got out. Officers caught one of them and the other one got away.”
The case was assigned to Sergeant Darryl van Noie who found a witness who identified the second skelm.
“He was given a rude awakening on Thursday when Van Noie knocked at his door at 4am.
“They found the fake gun and the cellphone used to book the trip. They did not manage to steal anything from the driver because officers were too fast.”
The two men have been charged with attempted hijacking and robbery and will appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday.