One of three boewe were caught on Monday outside a Cape Flats mosque trying to break into a car.
The owner of the car was praying inside Masjidur Raoof in Highlands Estate when the trio tried to steal his car.
Community members caught the trio red-handed and gave chase.
Two of the skelms headed down Ditricht Road, and one of the skelms, “who ran the slowest”, was caught just as he got to the corner at the mosque, says a resident.
The man, appearing to be in his late 20s or early 30s, “was s**t-scared and begged for his life”.
ISSUE: Masjidur Raoof innie Highlands Estate. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
“The community gave him a lekker pak and then tied him up with a cable tie and called the police,” says the resident.
“He refused to give his name or speak at all.”
The resident says they called the police, but an hour later, cops were yet to arrive.
Meanwhile, the would be car thief was still receiving the occasional snotklap by angry mense.
According to the resident, there’s been a spike in vehicle break-ins in the area recently.
“We work hard for our stuff and we are not going to let these people keep taking from us,” said the man.
The resident says they eventually got tired and after a while the man managed to escape.
A police source said when officers arrived at the scene, the suspected thief was gone.
Provincial police did not respond to queries about the matter last night.