GEORGE NEWS - A Mitsubishi truck that was stolen at the Thembalethu police station yesterday morning, Wednesday 10 January, was returned to the owner mere hours later.
The owner of the vehicle, Piet Dyzel of George Garden Centre, reported the theft on the Crime Spotters WhatsApp group shortly after 07:00.
Other neighbourhood watch groups from across George were also notified immediately.
At 10:30 Theana Badenhorst, a member of the Crime Spotters group, saw the truck in Mitchell Street and reported it to the group’s chairman, Francois van der Merwe.
"The owner of the vehicle and members of the reaction team rushed to the scene. Upon our arrival we found the vehicle abandoned and the battery gone. We later found the battery in another vehicle, presumably also stolen, in Rand Street, " said van der Merwe.
"On behalf of Crime Spotters George neighbourhood watch we thank Theana for her vigilance. Without the help of the community, a neighbourhood watch and its structures do not mean much. "
This is the second vehicle recovered by this neighbourhood watch group since August last year, when a stolen Nissan NP200 bakkie was recovered from Borcherds.
ARTICLE: KRISTY KOLBERG, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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