A SUSPECTED car thief was stopped in his tracks on Saturday morning after an alert homeowner spotted the man acting suspiciously around a car. The suspect was later arrested for fuel theft just a road away. According to Marshall Security’s Tyron Powell, the incident occurred at about 5.30am on Strathearn Road.

“Our response officer received a message from a community member, reporting that a suspect had tried to start a white VW Polo but failed to do so. The suspect then left the vehicle on the road and walked away.

“The same resident then reported hearing screams from Connyngham Avenue. When we arrived at the scene, we apprehended a male who was in the process of stealing fuel from a vehicle. A set of Polo keys was found in his possession,” he said.

After initial investigations it was established the Polo which the man had tried to start was stolen from a panel beating shop on North Coast Road the night before. He was also found with a number of other items, including toolboxes and a CD player also believed to be stolen.

“The suspect admitted to the break-in and pointed where all the stolen items were kept. SAPS Greenwood Park stood off and the suspect and stolen property was handed over to them.”