Two armed robbery suspects were arrested in Summerstrand in Port Elizabeth within minutes of robbing a 38-year-old woman of her handbag, cellphone and personal items, Eastern Cape police said.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the complainant was standing at the corner of Erasmus and Admirality Way on Thursday morning waiting for a taxi to go to work.
Naidu said two unknown men were standing with her and one of them suddenly produced a knife while the other pulled out a firearm.
They threatened her and ran off with her belongings.
“A passerby saw the screaming woman and stopped. After explaining to the driver what happened, the driver took her and while on the way to the police station, they noticed a group of people and a security official with two men lying on the ground in the parking area of Pollock beach. When they stopped, the complainant recognised the suspects. All her stolen items were in their possession. A member of the community also seized a .38 revolver and the knife.”
Both suspects, aged 26 and 30 years old, were arrested, and will appear in court soon.
Naidu said police are investigating whether the suspects could be linked to other crimes in the area. The cluster commander for Mount Road, Major-General Thembisile Patekile has commended the community for their swift response and for immediately coming to the aid of the distraught victim.
“Fighting crime is a shared responsibility and the speedy mobilisation of the community this morning shows that the community is definitely the eyes and ears of the police.”
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Article source: https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1947903/community-members-apprehend-robbery-suspects-in-port-elizabeth/
