A DURBAN North home owner lost two of his teeth when he confronted a housebreaker last Sunday (19 April). Armed with a crowbar, the housebreaker was startled when he was confronted by the angry resident. According to Lt Raymond Deokaran, the incident occurred on Thirlmere Place at about 3.40am.
“The home owner heard loud noises coming from his front door. He noticed a man using trying to break through his front door using a crowbar. He then confronted the suspect and grabbed him, and a small scuffle broke out. The crowbar was knocked to the ground in the fight. The resident was able to punch the housebreaker a number of times, but the suspect picked up an object during the fight and struck the owner, causing him to lose two of his front teeth in the fight. The suspect escaped empty-handed, and luckily there were no serious injuries,” Deokaran added.
While he admired the bravery of the home owner, Deokaran urged residents to contact the police or their security companies rather than trying to tackle criminals on their own.
“Press the panic button or call the police. Its not advisable to confront criminals. We believe the suspect was not acting alone and had an accomplice waiting in a getaway car nearby. We believe that may have been the case, and it is fortunate the suspect wasn’t armed with a more dangerous weapon,” he said.
