GEORGE NEWS - A suspected housebreaking in Thembalethu turned fatal in the early hours of Sunday 15 February when a resident managed to detain one of three intruders and later allegedly assaulted him, resulting in the man’s death.
The incident occurred in Ramaphosa, Zone 6. Three men allegedly broke into a man’s house.
He had just returned from a tavern when he saw the men fleeing his property. He chased them and caught one, and tied him up to a pole in his yard.
During the course of the events, the man found that two cellphones and some cash were missing from his house.
Leaving the suspect tied up, the man went to the Thembalethu Police Station to report the break-in and request assistance. He was allegedly told that no police vehicles were available to assist him.
The man returned home, untied the suspect and took him outside the yard. When the suspect refused to reveal the location of the missing items, the resident allegedly assaulted him with fists and kicks.
The suspect fell to the ground and the resident asked some neighbours to call the police, shortly after 03:00.
This attempt was in vain, however, and no blue lights were seen that night.
At about 07:00, a taxi driver stopped at the house and, upon learning what had happened, he phoned the police too.
By the time the officers arrived, the alleged burglar was already dead.
Confirming the murder, police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said the man had been arrested and was scheduled to make his first court appearance in the Thembalethu Magistrate’s Court today, Tuesday 16 February.
Gwala added that the police members implicated in the case were facing internal disciplinary action for unprofessional conduct.
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