Also read: Brave officer survives shootout
Thief nabbed by brave customer
A guard looking after a Van Riebeeck Park home single handedly caught three perpetrators trying to break into the house on January 18 shortly before 9pm.Michael Rangwato (54) from Personal Home Security Services (PHS) COPS had been deployed to protect the property on Waterjaar Street when he saw four men drive into the yard with a bakkie.
“They parked at the back. I waited in the shadows to see what they planned to do. They went into the kitchen and tried lifting the fridge. That was when I went in to stop them,” explained Rangwato.
There were previous break-ins in the past few months and this was why Rangwato was determined to ensure the suspects were caught. The house is being renovated and has been unoccupied for almost seven months.
He boldly walked into the house unarmed and pretended he was not alone.
“The house was dark. I walked in with my torch and shouted, ‘Stanley, Stanley, if they try to run, shoot them’. I also told them I’d shoot them if they didn’t co-operate. They could not see if I was armed or not,” he said.
He escorted the suspects towards the entrance of the premises.
On his radio, Rangwato had called for back-up and Braam Basson (56) and Quinton Erasmus (24), PHS COPS reaction officers, arrived. Before their arrival one suspect managed to escape.
“We were not far from the area. When we received the back-up call on the radio, we were prepared and not caught off-guard, because we knew the house was a target,” said Basson.
Basson said it had been a team work effort.
Rangwato said he had been quick to think on his feet and his experience counted. Basson and Erasmus arrested the three suspects and called Norkem Park SAPS.
The station’s spokesman, Capt Lesibana Molokomme, confirmed the incident and said the suspects would face charges of housebreaking.
According to Carl Buys, the company’s operational manager, PHS COPS had only been deployed to the property two days prior to the incident.
“Our guys were very proactive and we applaud their hard work,” he said.
Rangwato, Basson and Erasmus were awarded with medallions and given R 500 for excellent service rendered.
