Pinelands burglar suspect also wanted for murder
A MAN wanted for murder was among three suspects arrested in Pinelands after a burglary in the area.
According to the Pinelands City Improvement District (CID) Facebook page, at 3am last Friday, they were alerted to a burglary in progress, and when they went to investigate, they arrested three suspects.
They later found that one of the suspects had been on the run for murder. A police spokesperson said: “On April 5, at approximately 3am, the CID control room was informed of a burglary in progress.
“Three suspects were actively breaking into a house. ZoneWatch Armed Response and our CID public safety officers responded to the area and caught all three suspects.
“Pinelands SAPS also responded and arrested all three males.
“The following day, our team engaged with SAPS and uncovered that one of the suspects had been on the run and was wanted in relation to a murder case from a neighbouring suburb. A reminder of the dangerous individuals our officers engage with on a regular basis and the great work that goes on in the early hours of the morning.”
Pinelands CID public safety director, Aslam Clarke, said they had taken a proactive approach to crime deterrence by implementing preventative measures, including a control room and camera network.
“Residential burglary, remote jamming and theft of motor vehicle syndicates have, like most suburbs, visited Pinelands over the years.
“Several residential burglaries are reported to SAPS monthly.
“These incidents include the theft of bicycles by gaining entry to garages and sheds. The Pinelands CID public safety officers and dedicated law enforcement officers add a visible presence across Pinelands and along our canal. The extra visibility, additional manpower and tech-driven intelligence have been a huge help to SAPS, regularly leading to arrests.
“The Pinelands CID control room has enabled effective cooperation between CID public safety officers, Zonewatch and SAPS.”
He said there had not been any murders reported in the area for several years. “We live in a country with a high level of violent crime. It just goes to show the types of people the SAPS, law enforcement, armed response companies and our public safety officers regularly engage with.”
Another success from the CID, was catching a trespassing suspect at the weekend. “On April 6 at approximately 9am, the CID control room received a call about a suspicious person trespassing on private property. Pinelands SAPS were informed and our public safety officers responded to the area.”
Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, confirmed three suspects were arrested on a charge of burglary. “It was established that one of the suspects is also wanted on a murder case in Goodwood.They will appear in court once they have been charged,” said Twigg.