EARLY this morning (5.40am) the SAPS at Port Alfred received a call from an off duty police officer who saw an unknown man climbing over a fence in Heron Street.
During a patrol of the area, a security officer from a local security company noticed a man with something in his hand that resembled a laptop. He was hopping over fences in an attempt to escape. He threw the item he was carrying into nearby bushes in his attempt to escape his pursuers, police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said.
Teamwork by the SAPS and the security officer ended the marathon for the suspect who was cornered and arrested a few streets away by the team. He was searched, and memory sticks and a dongle were found in his pockets.
The security company confirmed there was a break-in which had occurred a few streets away. The complainant, who is a writer and busy with two books, identified the recovered items as his. He expressed his exhilaration on the speedy response by the team.
The suspect was arrested within 35 minutes of allegedly committing the offence. The suspect, a known offender aged 25, faces a charge of housebreaking and theft as well as a charge of possession of suspected stolen property. He will appear in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
