Returning to the scene of the crime turned out to be a very bad idea for one suspect, when he was apprehended in Hermanus earlier this week (Tuesday 15 September 2020) when he went back to the same area where he had committed a burglary hours earlier.
“The Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) camera team spotted suspicious behavior in the Hermanus CBD at around 1am on Tuesday morning and alerted officers patrolling the area immediately,” says Marius Boshoff, Hermanus branch manager for Fidelity ADT.
The operators noticed an unidentified suspect walking past a shop, who then proceeded to enter the shop through an open window. The HPP response vehicle and their counterparts in Fidelity ADT were alerted, and the suspect was apprehended after he had fled the scene.
“No stolen items were found in his possession and the SAPS had no choice but to release him due to a lack of evidence at the time. HPP camera operators however noticed a few hours later that the same suspect made his way back to the area where he was previously caught. He was then seen on Royal Road where he was searching for a bag which he had left in a bushy area close by,” Boshoff adds.
The suspect was again apprehended by the HPP Response vehicle, and the bag was located. It contained electronic equipment which was later positively identified by the shop owner as being their stolen property. A case of theft was opened against the suspect and he was handed over into police custody.