Grand theft auto foiled
HURSTHILL - What would you do if someone had stolen something from you and you saw it on the street?
Having recently stolen a bakkie, you’re relaxing in the front seat of your illegally acquired wheels, possibly listening to the car radio… only to be suddenly bodily hauled out of the car window by the car’s actual owner.
Car thieves, beware of Johan Pieterse.
“It was unlucky Friday the 13th,” Pieterse said on 1 July.
“One of the guys who work for me – Johan Ehlers – was doing a job at Northcliff tennis club with my bakkie, and when he returned outside the bakkie was gone. It was stolen.”
Ehlers reported the matter to the Sophiatown police, and was informed that he would have to come and open a dossier at the station.
“Then 10 days later, on Monday, 23 June, I rounded the corner at Seventh Avenue and Albert Street in Newlands to pick up my kids at Esperanza School and saw my bakkie parked right there,” Pieterse said.
“I got out of my car, grabbed the bakkie’s car keys through the open window and hauled the thief out of the window. He managed to get out of my grip and took off running, jumped over a wall, and got away.”
The police were called and turned up in less than 20 minutes, and it was discovered that a case dossier was never opened.
The car’s engine number, chassis number, number plate and licence disk had been changed in the 10 days it had been missing.
“I’m rather astounded by the efficiency of these thieves,” Pieterse joked.
“They even polished the bakkie, cleaned it up nicely. They didn’t leave me much petrol though. And they stole Johan Ehlers’ tools. If I didn’t get the car back myself, they said I’d probably never have gotten it because no case was opened,” Pieterse said.
A car guard witness who knew where the alleged thief lived gave the address to Pieterse. “The police didn’t go to the address, so we finally went to the shack in Brown Street in Newlands to see for ourselves,” Pieterse said.
“But the thief had cleared out, packed up and abandoned everything. He knew the witness knew where he lived. There was nothing there.”
Meanwhile Pieterse hasn’t been reunited with his bakkie yet, it’s still in police custody. “Johan Ehlers needs that bakkie to work, it’s his bread and butter. He hasn’t been able to work and provide for his family for weeks.”
According to Sophiatown police spokesperson Warrant Officer TJ de Bruyn, a case was opened.
“He did get his own car back, but the engine number was scraped off. We had to send the car to Everton Vehicle Identification Services to sort that out. If he drives the car as it is now, he could be apprehended for driving a stolen vehicle. The detective working on the case said he would try to speed up the process to get the bakkie back, but right now it’s out of Sophiatown police’s hands. We have to follow procedure, it’s for his own safety,” De Bruyn responded.
Pieterse was the previous head of Meldene Armed Response. He wouldn’t advise other members of the public to necessarily indulge in these same heroic acts.
“I was maybe a little too reckless. I didn’t even know if the guy was armed. If someone else happens to be in the same situation, I’d advise them to wait until the thief is driving, and then follow them at a safe distance and alert the police.”
