CRIMINALS were on the prowl over the long weekend but swift work by armed response officers and community members led to the arrest of suspects and the recovery of stolen goods across the city.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said angry community members assaulted an alleged housebreaker in Morningside after he attempted to break into a business premises in Lilian Ngoyi Road at around 6.35pm on Heritage Day.
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“Our officer responded to the scene and spotted one of the suspects running past his vehicle so he jumped out and chased him on foot. The suspect tried to evade arrest by fence hopping through several properties before climbing onto the roof of a house in Elm Road. The community came out to assist the officer but the suspect found bricks on the roof which he hurled down at them,” Mathios said.
He said community members lost their patience with the suspect and climbed onto the roof and assaulted him.
“Our officer climbed onto the roof, separated the fighting parties and arrested the suspect,” he said.
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Mathios said ER24 paramedics had advised that the suspect needed stitches to his head. The suspect was handed over to the Durban Central SAPS members who took him in custody to hospital for medical treatment.
In other cases two shoplifters were arrested in Anton Lembede Street after they refused to pay for food they had allegedly stolen and an alleged housebreaker was arrested in Berea Park Road in Musgrave but released on warning after the victim declined to press charges.
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