Steiltes community rallies to help catch suspected house robbers

It was thanks to the hypervigilance and watchful eyes of the Steiltes community that three suspected house robbers were taken into custody in Aurora Drive this afternoon, October 10.

Nelspruit Police Station took the three men in for further investigations, after a concerted group effort on several Steiltes community watch WhatsApp groups to put an end to a spate of house robberies that had taken place in the area recently.

With the community still reeling from this, Steiltes residents have been on the lookout for suspicious vehicles driving slowly around the area.

ALSO READ: Cameron Street in Mbombela closed due to fallen tree

Just before 14:00 today, residents began posting on community watch WhatsApp groups that a suspicious vehicle was doing the rounds in Melkweg Road and Aurora Drive.

It was a local, Kobus Pretorius, who decided to hunt the suspected criminals down. When he found them driving around Aurora Drive, he took up the chase.

“After a few minutes of chasing them, I pushed their car off the road and called security. We are sick of the sleepless nights and being afraid. Someone had to do something to get these men off the streets of Steiltes,” he said.

Securicon Lowveld arrived at the scene, and photos of the three men were circulated on the groups. Some residents who had their homes broken into, claimed to have been attacked by one of the three suspects.

Securicon Lowveld’s Callum mac Pherson identified one of the men as a suspect he had previously arrested on three separate occasions for suspected housebreakings.

Divergent Ops’ Tobie du Preez said a member of their team was also on the scene and is currently investigating whether the car that was driven by the three men, was involved in any other crimes.