A CAR guard’s act of bravery was to no avail as the victim of remote jamming at Paradise Junction did not open a case which led to the suspect being released.
Jackson Ndikumana risked his life to run after a thief who stole a laptop from a car in the complex parking lot.
ALSO READ: Car guard to businessman
Speaking to the Highway Mail, Jackson said it was just a normal, but very sunny Wednesday.
“The victim parked his car, took out his laptop and placed it in the car boot and went inside a pharmacy,” said Ndikumana.
A video, recorded by SPAR cameras, shows the man parking and putting his items in the boot.
Within three minutes, a man comes from the front of the car, opens the boot and takes the bag with the laptop, wallet and money.
ALSO READ: New Germany car guards to be monitored
At that time, Jackson was directing a driver out of the parking lot when he then noticed the suspect closing the boot and walking away.
“I asked him where he was taking the bag as it was not his car,” he said.
The suspect told Jackson that they know each other and walked faster.
“I ran after him. A blue Etios stopped for him and opened a door to let him in but my colleagues also followed me and the driver fled leaving his partner behind.
“He ran towards Stapleton Road. I tripped him and he fell. Luckily, as I was chasing him, the Pinetown SAPS biker unit members were driving past. They then handcuffed him and called the other officers who arrived within minutes in a police van and took the suspect with them,” explained the car guard.
Jackson said he loves his job and does it to the best of his ability and would not let a thief make him lose his job.
A pharmacist at Paradise Junction Pharmacy, Zeyn Barmania, said they have had a few incidents of remote jamming in the complex.
“We are very proud of Jackson for his bravery.
“These car guards have been here for a while. I also want to thank the quick response of our effective neighbourhood watch, Glenpark. They respond within minutes, they really do make us feel safe as we have also been targeted here at the pharmacy,” he said.
Pinetown Cluster communications officer, Capt Bongumusa Manqele, confirmed the incident and said the suspect was caught but the complainant did not come to the station to open a case and so he was released.
Manqele urged people to open cases and warned motorists to be vigilant when parking a vehicle on the road or at the mall.
“It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all the doors are properly locked before leaving the vehicle. Valuables like cellphones, wallets and laptops should not be left in the seats of the vehicle.”
He urged motorists to also be vigilant when approaching intersections especially in the Pinetown CBD. “Motorists are urged to close windows of their vehicles when stopping at intersections and their valuables must not be visible to the eyes of the public,” he said.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
