Sunnyside residents fed up with crime have apprehended three alleged robbers accused of snatching cellphones from unsuspecting passersby.
The residents called local police for back up leading to the suspects aged between 19 and 35 being arrested by police on Monday.
Spokesperson Captain Daniel Mavimbela said the three were caught “red-handed” snatching cellphones in separate incidents between 02:00 and 19:30 on Monday.
“Though the bulk of the crimes reported in Sunnyside consist mainly of theft from motor vehicles, street robberies are the second biggest challenge.”
Mavimbela said police could not rule out the possibility of linking the trio to other similar cases in Sunnyside or neighbouring areas like Brooklyn and Pretoria Central.
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He said the suspects would be charged with robbery and were expected to appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court soon.
Mavimbela commended the local community, security guards and police officers for showing a heightened sense of awareness, activism and co-operating in the arrests.
Sunnyside police station commander Colonel Nishan Moodley said: “When the community, police and other role players begin to reclaim the streets from criminals, this is what happens.”
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