Cunning crook escapes the clutches of mall security
“I told him no knives were allowed at the mall. When I tried to take the knife from him, he pulled back. That is when I took out my handcuffs and tried to cuff him,” he said.
Victorian Mall security and management have taken a firm stance against the petty crooks who have in the past become synonymous with the area.
Thursday last week, security guard Ndwandwe Mthandeni observed a suspicious-looking man outside Cambridge Food Stores.
“I approached him to ask him what he was doing here,’ said Mr Mthandeni. “He told me he was there to help the customers with their trolleys.”
According to Mr Mthandeni, during a short conversation afterwards, the man pulled out a knife.
“I told him no knives were allowed at the mall. When I tried to take the knife from him, he pulled back. That is when I took out my handcuffs and tried to cuff him,” he said.
The man ran, with Mr Mthandeni in hot pursuit. The chase took the two men to the Taxi Rank, where he lost sight of the suspect.
He returned to the office at Victorian Mall to report to the manager and his supervisor and also the police.
“When I walked out of the office, I saw the same guy sitting outside again. I grabbed him and took him up to the men’s bathroom, and cuffed him to a stainless steel bar in the toilet for disabled patrons.”
Manager of Victorian Mall, Karin van der Mescht explained she had called the police, but they had still not shown up almost three hours later.
“This is not the first time we have locked perpetrators in the toilet and called the police to remove them,” she said. “I am very disappointed in the SAPS; they are supposed to help us.”
Mrs van der Mescht is determined to make Victorian Mall as safe as possible for patrons, and has instructed security not to take any chances, and to be vigilant at all times.
The man locked in the toilet however, was equally determined not to go to jail. While management was waiting for police officials, the man used a brick to break open the handcuffs and slipped past security.
“We want people to know it is safe to come and shop at Victorian Mall,” said Mrs van der Mescht. “We have beefed up our security, and the underground parking is for mall patrons to use.”
An angry Mr Mthandeni promised he would catch the man again, and this time, he would not escape.
