Suspect arrested despite ‘monkey business’

A burglar’s almost monkey-like agility kept the police, a tow-truck driver and security company staff busy for a while yesterday.

Police were alerted that a young adult had broken into a vacant house on 8th Street to strip it and that he was hiding in a house next to Roodepoort Police Station. Along with security companies they cordoned off the area but the suspect decided to make a run for it. According to Colonel André Laing the suspect miraculously scaled the Roodepoort Hoërskool palisade fence. Acting on the screams of the pupils they cordoned off the school as well. Pupils told them the suspect had fled to the third floor of one of the buildings.

Laing and a tow trucker meticulously searched every floor and were surprised when they reached the top floor but could find no suspect. On a whim Laing decided to recheck one of the bathrooms and found the suspect hanging by his fingers on the outside of the window. Realising the suspect was going to lose his grip and fall he instructed the tow-truck driver to grab him, but as he reached for him the suspect made another mind-boggling move and ‘disappeared’. Again they were surprised to find that he was not on the ground. Somehow he managed to swing to a bathroom pipe shaft. Laing ran downstairs but found the shaft was closed off with a metal gate and that the suspect could not get out. He ran back up again. They saw that the suspect had jumped from the third floor, landed on the roof of a vehicle and was running in the direction of the netball courts.

An Apcan Security officer tried to stop him but he hit the officer to the ground and continued his run for freedom. The same security officer continued his pursuit and eventually managed to tackle the by then bloodied suspect.

It is believed the suspect is part of a gang and has been linked to other cases too. Police were able to recover R15 000 worth of stolen goods.

The suspect was taken to hospital and after being discharged he was detained at Roodepoort Police Station.

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