A dom cable skelm made his first appearance at Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Monday after he was busted trying to steal railway cables over the weekend.
The 37-year-old man was caught by wakker armed response officers from Combat Force who caught him red-handed during the early hours of Saturday near Wynberg.
Combat Force manager Michael Cameron says they were patrolling the area around Lester Road when they heard noises and voices along the railway line and decided to have a look.
“Officers Robin Fernandez and Riedewaan Heynes heard the noises and went to see what was happening and saw the three men digging a trench trying to get to the cables.
“The men started running and they gave chase.”
Cameron says while two suspects got away and they found one skelm hiding in a deep trench he had dug and arrested him.
“They left their tools behind and his hands were covered in dirt. It appears that they didn’t get to the cables yet.
“They were arrested and taken to Wynberg Police Station who informed Prasa [Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa].”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana says the man was charged with malicious damage to property.
“A 37-year-old man was arrested for malicious damage to property and he [was to have appeared] in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Monday [yesterday].”