Hillcrest housebreaker’s hide-out tracked via stolen phone

Blue Security armed response officers and a resident tracked a cellphone to an alleged Hillcrest housebreaker’s hide-out in a rural area in Shongweni, which led to an arrest yesterday morning.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said a Hillcrest resident awoke on Monday morning at about 5.42 am to discover that his home had been broken into. He said the suspects had allegedly forced open a back sliding door to gain entry into the home. “He found that housebreakers had fled with laptops, a tablet, boom box speakers, a cellphone, a handbag and clothes. The resident was able to track the movement of the suspects through a mobile app that tracked the movement of his cellphone, which they had stolen,” Mathios said.
Mathios said the resident got into his car in an attempt to seek help to pursue the suspects and managed to flag down a Blue Security armed response officer who was patrolling the neighbourhood. “Together with the resident, our officer continued to track his cellphone, and the suspects, via the app on another cellphone. A back up armed response vehicle followed behind the officer as they drove deep into Shongweni,” he said.
“Eventually, the chase led to a rondavel in the rural area. When the officers attempted to open the door, the suspects tried to force it shut, and a scuffle broke out. The officers arrested one of the suspects but the second suspect managed to flee the scene on foot,” he said. Mathios said the officers recovered most of the stolen items, including laptops and the cellphone, which had been stashed inside the rondavel. “The suspects were handed over to members of the Hillcrest SAPS who attended the scene of the crime,” he said.
Mathios commended the officers for their swift response and quick thinking at the scene which led to the arrest of the suspect. “We are committed to the fight against crime in the communities that we serve and we are determined to bring criminals to book and to ensure they face the full wrath of the law for their crimes,” he said.
Mathios advised residents to ensure that their homes are adequately secured, internally and externally. “It’s important when you are at home at night to always sleep with your home alarm activated. If you do not already have external beams and CCTV surveillance cameras on your property, it is worth installing these as they provide a strong early warning system and serve as a deterrent to criminals,” he said.