Suspect to face charges after mugging student for cellphone
Pretoria Moot SAPS station commander Colonel Hlengeni Giben Mashaba commended the victim for her bravery and said the police were concerned about the sudden spike in street robberies
A 20-year-old suspect will appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court soon on two counts of common robbery, possession of stolen property and possession of drugs.
The arrest came after a 19-year-old student was robbed of her cellphone while walking to school in Nico Smith Street, Rietfontein, in the Moot, on Tuesday morning.
Moot police spokesperson Captain Anton Breedt said the man grabbed the electronic device from the student’s school shirt pocket.
“The victim ran after him. He tried to outrun the 19-year-old student, but making a wrong turn, he ran into a large group of parents at a nearby primary school, busy dropping off their children, who managed to stop him,” Breedt said.
Police recovered two cellphones from the suspect and a matchbox containing drugs.
“Upon further investigation, it was found this was not the suspect’s only victim for the day.
“The owner of the second cellphone was traced, and it was found another student from the same school was robbed just minutes before he targeted her,” he said.
Pretoria Moot SAPS station commander Colonel Hlengeni Giben Mashaba commended the victim for her bravery and said the police were concerned about the sudden spike in street robberies.
Mashaba shared the following safety tips:
– Always be aware of your surroundings and possible threats.- If you are far from your home or workplace, get someone to walk with you.- Avoid walkways with bad lightning
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