A 15-year-old laaitie, who is allegedly part of a group of smash and grab thugs, appeared in court on Monday after he was caught stealing a cellphone from a motorist.
Elsies River Police Station commander, Brigadier Sandile Sonjani, says just a day after they went on a drive to warn motorists about dangerous intersections in the area, a 42-year-old woman was targeted.
“The female motorist was standing at the intersection of 35th Avenue and Owen Street when the 15-year-old boy approached her,” the brigadier says.
“She left her windows down and was changing music on her phone when the boy came up to her and grabbed the phone shortly before 5pm.
“In this incident the window was not smashed.”
Sonjani says the laaitie fled the scene with the cellphone in his hand but was spotted by cops patrolling in the area.
“The officers chased after the boy and found the cellphone in the boy’s possession and he was arrested.”
The 15-year-old was kept in police holding cells over the weekend and yesterday appeared in Goodwood Magistrates’ Court on robbery charges.
On Friday cops embarked on an awareness campaign and warned motorists driving through Elsies River that boys as young as 12 are behind smash and grab incidents which result in cellphones, laptops, handbags and other valuables being stolen.
Among some of the hotspots are Avonwood Road, Halt Road, Francie van Zyl Drive and 35th Avenue.