Neighbour held after robbery

Port Elizabeth police have arrested a robbery suspect after realising that he lived just five doors away from one of his alleged victims.

The arrest followed the robbery of a woman, 75, in Couldridge Road, Schauderville, two months ago.

On Monday, detectives tracked down and arrested the man, 24, who lived a few doors away in the same street.

The breakthrough came after the man’s fingerprints were allegedly found inside the woman’s home after the robbery.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the woman was home alone when the robbery took place, shortly after 8am on May 30.

“She was attacked inside her house.

“A man broke a window [of a bedroom] to gain entry.

“Once inside, he found the woman sleeping in [bed].”

He held a pillow in front of his face when he confronted her.

Naidu said the robber held another pillow over the woman’s face when she woke up, putting his fingers in her mouth to stop her screaming.

“He managed to take four rings off her fingers.

“Once he had the rings, he jumped up and casually walked out [by] the back door.

“The woman tried to chase him but failed to catch up.

“Detectives [found] fingerprints inside the house which allegedly link the man directly to the robbery.”

He was arrested by Mount Road detectives at 4am on Monday.

None of the stolen rings, worth about R15,000, have been found.

The man is due to appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on charges of robbery and assault.