Rude awakening for ‘sleeping cellphone thief’ arrested in bed

An alleged cellphone thief got a rude awakening in Cape Town when he was arrested in possession of his stolen loot while pretending to be asleep.

The man, arrested in Delft, was one of 18 people apprehended by the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement services last week.

He was arrested on Friday after a woman was robbed while waiting for a taxi in Delft, mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said in a statement.

Metro police officers had chased after the man, who hotfooted it and disappeared between houses.

“Officers got permission from homeowners to search their premises and found the suspect laying in a bed pretending to be asleep. The victim’s cellphone was still in his possession,” Smith said.

“This is certainly one of the most creative getaway attempts we have seen in a while, and while it turned into a bit of a nightmare for the thief, I am very happy that our staff was able to help a resident in distress.

“Very often, these supposed petty crimes go unresolved, but there’s merit to making arrests where the opportunity presents itself, because sometimes the suspects are not new to crime and can be linked to other incidents.”

Metro police officers also arrested two people in Khayelitsha in separate incidents of domestic violence.

“In June, the Metro Police attended to 28 complaints of domestic violence and this is 28 too many,” Smith said.

“Most often, officers are only called after the incident and the perpetrator has disappeared.”

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