On the run for nearly two decades, police have finally caught a 49 year old fugitive for his 2007 crimes.
Members of the South African Police Service. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
After a cat-and-mouse chase, police have finally caught a 49-year-old fugitive wanted for a brutal murder and robbery committed in 2007.
Chasing ghosts
Patrick Machuto was due in court in 2015 for the crime registered in Bloemfontein. But he failed to show up and had been on the run ever since.
Following leads, the Free State Provincial Tracking and Tracing Team found themselves in the North West at Machuto’s last known address at the beginning of July this year.
Though the search came up short, investigators established that he had recently been arrested for a separate assault case and could intercept him at his next court appearance in Lehurutse.
On Tuesday, 21 July, the Free State team finally executed Machuto’s long-standing warrant of arrest after his court appearance was confirmed.
“The suspect was immediately booked out and transported back to Bloemfontein, where he will face charges relating to the 2007 Kopanong murder and robbery, ” said Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli.
Kareli said he will also face additional charges regarding his failure to appear in court.
‘Criminals can’t hide forever’
Free State Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia commended the persistent efforts and inter-provincial collaboration.
Lesia said that through their intelligence work, they were able to show by the officers involved that, though the wheels of justice may turn slowly, criminals can’t hide forever.
Cash in transit suspects found at safe house
In that same breath, police cracked down on a suspected cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery gang before they could execute their criminal plans on Wednesday evening.
“Gauteng police have been hot on the heels of a gang believed to be linked to a number of serious and violent crimes committed across the province, said Acting National Commissioner of Saps, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane.
With the help of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), the police made their way to a house in Daveyton in the East Rand last night.
Here, they found and recovered artillery: seven rifles and one pistol, as well as reflector jackets. Parked outside the residence was what police identified as a hijacked BMW X5.
The suspects were nowhere to be found on the premises and, as such, police are on a manhunt for them.
“We will hunt them down, arrest them and ensure they face the full might of the law,” said Dimpane.
