A crowbar gang who stole goods worth R25 000 met their match in Ottery on Saturday when residents caught one of the skelms and moered him as he fled from police.
The dramatic scene played out in De Wet Road where cops cornered the four men from Phumlani Village informal settlement, next to Pelican Park, as they were returning home after burgling a house in Diep River.
Grassy Park SAPS Commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, says shortly before 2pm, cops got a tip-off about the skelms travelling in a white panel van towards their precinct.
“They had broken into a house in Diep River and a witness, who saw them jumping over the wall, called the police with a description of the vehicle,” says Laing.
The owner of the panel van is a Khayelitsha resident
“The member of the public also followed the suspects. They were driving through De Wet Road when our guys got the tip-off and stopped the van.”
Laing says while the driver and one passenger stayed inside the van, two other
suspects ran away.
That’s when wakker residents jumped in to assist cops.
“The officers gave chase and caught the one suspect but the other one ran towards the flats and when residents saw what was happening, they ran after him and caught him.
“They did some ‘panel beating’ on him and hit him. He was taken to Retreat Day Hospital but they discharged him a few hours later and he was taken to the holding cells.”
Laing says when officers unpacked the van, they found electrical appliances, musical instruments and other household items worth R25 000.
“There were guitars, speakers, clothes, laptops and other items. Officers also found the crowbar they used to break in in the van and that is part of the evidence.
“During the investigation, it was also found that the van they used was not reported stolen but the registered owner lives in Khayelitsha.”
R25 000 items were stolen at the Diep River home
He says the four men, aged between 22 and 39, have been charged with possession of stolen items.
“The burglary charge will be added by Diep River SAPS. They are Zimbabwean and Somali and all reside in Phumlani Village.
“They will make their first appearance in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court this week.”