Dramatic arrest of wanted suspect

One of Polokwane’s most wanted suspects was arrested last Wednesday afternoon in a dramatic capture at a dwelling in the central business district (CBD) when a large contingent of crime fighters closed in on what was identified as one of his apparent hiding places.
Polokwane Observer managed to record images of Bayden Scheepers’s arrest which attracted much public attention across the city centre that afternoon.
Sources alluded to Bayden being known as the other half of the notorious Scheepers siblings whom, it was reliably learnt, resort to several aliases.
Along with 31-year-old Bayden three more suspects were taken in, including a woman he is believed to be associated with and with whom he appeared in court on Friday. The case of possession of suspected stolen property and housebreaking implements against Bayden and 30-year-old Lourellee Huang (sic) was postponed to tomorrow (Friday), according to Provincial Police spokesperson Maphure Manamela. They have both been denied bail, she added.
Manamela stated that Bayden had further cases of common robbery, burglary at residences in the Polokwane and Westenburg areas, theft of motor vehicles and possession of suspected stolen property pending against him.
His brother, Aiden – who according to available information seemingly shares his birth date – appeared in court the previous day on charges of alleged assault of his girlfriend in Westenburg in March this year and theft allegedly committed at an overnight accommodation establishment in Ladanna in August this year, according to Manamela. The case was postponed to yesterday (Wednesday) for bail application.
His co-accused, whose name is being withheld, was released pending further Police investigations as he couldn’t be linked to the matter, added Manamela.
Bayden’s arrest followed a search that took law enforcers to the Polokwane High Court precinct where a house opposite the facility in Bodenstein Street was targeted mid-afternoon. Save for the odd occupants in the residence he was nowhere to be found. Further leads subsequently resulted in the operation hastily moving a couple of blocks down to Church Street.
Upon their arrival members of the Police, community policing forum (CPF) structures and security concerns closed in on what is believed to be one of Bayden’s dens. An abandoned building opposite the road on the corner of Church and Marshall streets was pointed out as another of five premises allegedly used by Bayden for purposes of escaping the full might of the law. Upon getting sniff of the arrival of the crime combatants at 10A Church Street, Bayden took to the ceiling of the house where he was stealthily located and hurriedly taken into custody.
Housebreaking equipment was confiscated from the house as well as from a black designer backpack containing two reflective bibs, one bearing the logo of Polokwane Municipality and of the type that is usually displayed by officials or contractors tasked with metre readings at dwellings or structures, as well as a set of keys apparently used for easy disengaging of standardised locks. In addition more suspected housebreaking equipment seized on the premises was pointed out.
According to information gathered on the scene Bayden had seemingly arrived at the house in Church Street – which he reportedly allegedly would have used as temporary stop-over for a few hours at a time – at around noon that day, sporting the weathered backpack.
Once the suspects were stowed in the back of waiting vehicles a sniffer dog was taken in to sift through the disorder that characterised the interior of the partially vacant house. At a back door black and red playing cards were scattered in the dust, ironically reminding of a numbered gaming deck tattooed on Bayden’s right upper hip visible as his shirt pulled up when being escorted to a Police van.

Story/photos:
Yolande Nel | >>observer.yolande@gmail.com
RC Myburgh | >>rc.observer@gmail.com