A burglar that entered a bottle store in Barry Hertzog Park late on Sunday night has been caught on surveillance footage having a few drinks while he rounded up his spoils inside the shop.
Late on Saturday night, store manager of Barry Hertzog Park Kelders, Bandile Masimula, received a call from the security company used by the owners of the store, saying the alarm had gone off.
“They told me they would inform me if anything was wrong. I never received another call, and thought everything was fine,” said Mr Masimula.
Mr Masimula assumed the security company had gone to the premises to check if everything was fine, and did not think about it again.
The following morning, upon opening the store, he knew immediately that something was amiss. The office was in disarray, and some things were not as he had left them. He noticed a large hole in the ceiling of the office, and that some computer towers were missing from behind the counter, and then telephoned the police and the owner.
“The police recovered two towers in the ceiling, along with some empty beer bottles,” said Mr Masimula, shaking his head in disbelief.
The surveillance footage later revealed that the lone burglar had spent almost an hour in the shop, drinking as he went.
Early investigation suggests the man gained access into the roof from the rear of the building and then crawled some ten meters in the ceiling to where the alarm panel was located above the office. The suspect disabled the alarm system before breaking out a piece of the ceiling panel.
“He took a laptop, cash to the approximate value of R1 600 and cigarettes to the retail value of almost R10 000,” said Mr Masimula. “The fact that he was confident enough to have a drink or two while he was here is shocking to me.”
Mr Masimula alleged the man must have known the shop and the alarm system very well. Police have collected the surveillance footage and have also taken fingerprints at the scene. The investigation is currently underway.
