A first-year mechatronic engineering student at the NWU, whose phone was stolen on campus, regained possession of it three hours later thanks to a true community effort.

What started as a normal Wednesday (March 11) on campus turned into an adrenaline-filled ordeal for Nathan Cooper. The SAPS played a key role in the arrest and together with Nathan, tracked down and apprehended the suspect using Nathan’s GPS mobile tracking app.

Nathan says the stranger approached him at the cafeteria next to the amphitheatre on campus and asked to use his phone.

“He approached me around 10:40, just before my math class that was starting at 11:00. At that stage I was sitting and eating. The man asked to use my phone because his phone was ‘broken’. He said he wanted to message his friend, who then sent photos of fire hydrants to my phone.”

“The person left for a minute or two and then returned, asking to borrow my phone again to go and take a picture to send to his friend. I am a trusting person, so I thought he would bring my phone back. After five minutes I became worried that something was wrong. I asked people around me to contact my girlfriend, who has my phone’s location on her phone,” he adds.

It was soon established that his phone was in Potchefstroom CBD in Wandellaan at the Royal Hotel.

Nathan said a friend overheard him asking for help in the cafeteria and offered to drive him in search of the phone, as Nathan did not have transport.

“We went with Mooirivier Beskerming to the residence. I pinpointed the phone to one of two rooms, but we could not gain access without the police. My friend and I went to the police station to open a case and get help. The police offered to go to the location in one of their vehicles,” says Nathan, who kept track of his phone in real time.

When Nathan got into the police vehicle, the phone’s location had moved from the Royal Hotel to Riverwalk Mall.

Nathan and the police officers walked around the parking area to see if they could locate the phone. After a while, the signal started moving quickly, which indicated that the suspect was likely travelling in a vehicle.

This led them to the Mooirivier Mall parking area, where one of the police officers noticed someone matching the description of the man who had taken Nathan’s phone.

“When the police officers approached the suspected vehicle, I rang my phone using the app so that the officer could hear it ringing. I recognised the man and he was apprehended. He apparently took the SIM card out and put the phone in tinfoil, thinking the phone would not be detected. I decided to press charges after he was apprehended because I don’t want him to do the same to other people,” he says.

North-West police spokesperson, Sergeant Kelebogile Morake, confirmed the incident and that a case of theft had been opened. The 35-year-old male suspect is scheduled to appear in the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court today (Friday, March 13).

The NWU reiterates that students should be aware of the following safety tips: (Source:NWU)