PARKWOOD – An alleged robber, who accosted a woman in Sussex Road was caught inside a dustbin at the nearby garage where he hid.
He was one of four suspects who attacked the woman while she walked towards her vehicle outside her office’s buildings.
Police said the suspects had been a thorn in the side for residents and motorists using Oxford Road and Jan Smuts Avenue for at least three months.
Spokesperson of the Rosebank Police Station, Sergeant Bongi Mdetshe, said the suspects used a pistol and a screwdriver to scare their victims.
ADT security officer Bongani Sithole, who had just ended his shift and was about to leave the guard house, witnessed the incident, with one of the suspects allegedly threatening to stab the woman with a screwdriver.
Sithole ran to the woman’s rescue and attempted to fight off the suspects. The suspects released woman, who escaped unharmed. They then attacked the guard.
The woman climbed into her car and sped off. On her way she saw another security guard and reported what happened to him . The guard called for back-up to rescue Sithole. The suspects fled towards a petrol station and one tried to hide inside a bin but was found and apprehended by the guards and the police.
Following police questioning the suspect was able to help track down the other suspects on the run, who were subsequently arrested.
Security company managing director Clive Humphrey applauded Sithole who acted selflessly.
Mdetshe attributed the success to the relationship between the police and security companies, saying it was paying off.
He said, “We would like to appeal to the community, especially anyone who has been a victim of robbery perpetrated by the suspects using a screwdriver and a pistol, to please contact Constable Mpho Ledwaba on 011-778-4716.”
