Chance encounter with cell phone theft victim leads to thief’s undoing

SWIFT justice was meted out to a 19-year-old cell phone thief who was nabbed after his victim spotted him passing her in the street.

At about 9am on 4 July, a woman was robbed of her cell phone by two men in Riverside Road.

Her cell phone was valued at about R2,500.

When she recognised one of the men passing her in the street just over a month later, on Thursday, 12 August, she immediately notified investigating officer, Toti SAPS’ Detective Const Sibongiseni Zithumani.

Nineteen-year-old Xolani Mhlongo was arrested and the stolen cell phone was recovered in the KwaMakhutha area. He was found guilty of robbery on 18 August and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with five years of the sentence suspended for five years.