Three suspects are expected to face charges of common robbery after being arrested for allegedly snatching a cell phone from an unsuspecting pedestrian on 9 August.
In the mid-afternoon, the victim was walking near the corner of Pretoria and Hill streets in the Randburg CBD, when the suspects approached him.
According to Randburg Police Station spokesperson Captain Makgowanyana Maja, one suspect grabbed the victim’s cell phone while he was talking on it and then escaped into a vehicle with the other suspects waiting inside.
The victim made his way on foot to the Randburg Police Station.
On his way, he spotted the suspect’s vehicle, which was stopped by plain-clothed police officers. Maja said, “The victim did not know that these were police officers and continued walking towards the police station. He alerted a nearby police vehicle patrolling.”
When officers rushed to the scene, the plain-clothed officers were searching the suspects after they sped through a red traffic light.
“The officers assisted their college and found the complainant’s property in the possession of the suspects. They immediately arrested the suspects for common robbery.”
Maja added that the Randburg Police Station Commander Brigadier Michel Jones would like to ‘thank the member by showing patriotism, love and dedication for his work by placing his life in danger while off-duty.’
The suspects, who are between 22 and 38 years old, are expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court to face charges of common robbery soon.
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