A brave 16-year-old kickboxing champion and local mixed martial artist from Homelake, Eugene van der Merwe, was able to stop a criminal in his tracks after he together with an accomplice broke into his home on Aster Street in Homelake on 3 September.
The boy was in the kitchen with his father when his mother shouted and alerted them of the criminals in the yard.
Having heard this, the suspects immediately jumped over the boundary wall and fled on foot.
“We spotted one of the suspects taking off his jacket thinking that we won’t be able to spot him in different clothing but he was wrong.
“When we approached him, he was soaking in sweat and that is when we knew it was him.
“I instructed my father to pull over and I jumped out of the car and gave chase on foot.
“I caught up to him and pinned him to the ground,” says van der Merwe.
He adds that his father followed and contacted the police who arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect.
The accomplice managed to get away and is still roaming streets armed with a firearm.
“Had it not been for my kickboxing experience, I would have caught up with the suspects and not known what to do with him.
“If he had a gun, clearly he would have shot me.”
He adds that upon police officers’ arrival at the scene, the suspect was searched and found to have antique jewellery in his possession which is suspected to be stolen.
