Couple caught stealing cellphone from handbag
LONEHILL - CCTV footage shows how quickly a cellphone can be stolen.
Crime has left Brenda Williams seething, after her cellphone was taken from her purse when her back was turned.
The incident was caught on tape at a Lonehill grocery store. While shopping, Williams left her purse unattended in her shopping cart.
The CCTV footage shows a male and female, who seem to be pretending to be shopping, standing near the victim’s cart.
When Williams’ back is turned, the man reaches into her bag and takes her cellphone. The male suspect slips the phone into his pocket while walking away from the cart. A few metres away he hands the phone to his female counterpart, who slips it into her bra.
Williams was able to obtain the footage after she noticed her cellphone was gone upon leaving the shop.
She said, “Not enough is done to ensure the safety of shoppers” and, according to her, the ploy used by the two suspects is common practice among petty thieves. She believes the same two suspects were responsible for stealing her purse a while back. She believes the two opperate in the Fourways and Midrand shopping nodes. Williams has opened a case of theft at Douglasdale police station.
Warrant Officer Balan Muthan of the Douglasdale Police Station said the best advise to combat this kind of theft is to simply be aware of your possessions and keep them in sight.
Police are investigating and no arrests have been made.
