First-class police work led to the arrest of a 61-year-old suspect just two hours after Jan van der Ross (49) was gunned down outside Benton’s Tavern in Crystal Avenue, Blanco, George, yesterday.

According to George Herald, community members reported hearing a single gunshot at about 16:50, before word spread that Van der Ross was lying in the road.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies says George police immediately launched a manhunt for the alleged gunman who, according to eyewitnesses, fled the area in a black Audi Q5.

Spies adds that various resources were mobilised and a search for the vehicle ensued.

The chase led police to the N9 near Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, where the suspect was pulled over and arrested.

It is understood the suspect fled at speeds far exceeding the legal limit, with sources reporting the Audi being traced near Willowmore, roughly 170km from the crime scene, within an hour of the shooting.

Graaff-Reinet, where the arrest took place, is about 350km from where Van der Ross was shot, and the suspect appears to have covered the distance in just over two hours.

A murder docket is being investigated, while the suspect remains detained at George Police Station. Spies says the motive for the killing is yet to be established and forms part of the ongoing investigation.

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