A wanted car thief was caught by police in Sophiatown on 31 May after a long car chase through Linden.
Linden police Sector 2 Commander Warrant Officer Sarel Bredenhand, along with the police helicopter and sector vehicles from Parkview, Brixton and Sophiatown, chased down a black VW polo through Linden and into Sopiatown where the suspects were apprehended.
The chase began when the suspects saw Bredenhand in a Linden police sector vehicle in Linden, and began to act suspicious by speeding off to get away. They allegedly endangered lives as they skipped traffic lights in a haste to evade the police.
They were then arrested and detained at the Linden police station, where they gave police the wrong information. They were charged with reckless and negligent driving and obstruction of justice. Later profiling of the suspects revealed that one of the suspects was wanted for 11 counts of vehicle thefts, owning car-breaking implements, and a 2008 case of theft out of motor vehicle in Linden.
Linden police Sector 2 Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman, Fareed Hoosen, said there had been an increase of car related thefts happening on Saturdays in the area in recent months, and that a black VW Polo was linked to many of them.
“Criminals operating in our Sector are definitely starting to feel the heat of Linden police,” stated Hoosen. “This is just another prime example of the precinct’s successes.”
In another reported incident of crime in Randburg on 31 May, 8 armed males robbed the Woolworths Food Store at Boskruin Village of an undisclosed amount of money and made their getaway in a single cab Toyota Hilux. No arrests were made.
Details: Linden CPF, Fareed Hoosen 072 434 3660.
