ABERDEEN NEWS — The spike in housebreakings in Aberdeen has continued, and residents are urged to take sensible precautions when leaving their homes such as ensuring doors are locked.
Any suspicious activity should also be reported to the police immediately.
It was the result of vigilance from two local residents that two suspects were arrested after breaking into a house in North Street. Local butcher Van Lingen de Beer and his daughter Tessa were driving along North Street last Monday, and when Tessa saw a person sitting in the window of a house, they called the police and stopped to investigate.
As Van Lingen went into the yard, Tessa saw another person climbing out of the same window, and both suspects ran away. The police had responded very quickly, and chased after the suspects, catching one of them. Deon Klaasen (19) was arrested and has appeared in court. The other suspect is a 14-year-old juvenile, and the police are awaiting an assessment report on him from the social worker before proceeding.
The second reported case happened in Lotusville, also on Monday, January . The householder had gone out, shutting but not locking his door.
A witness saw a regular visitor to the house go into the house, and leave carrying a plastic bag. On his return, the owner discovered that a quantity of eat, primarily sheep’s offal, was missing. The suspect is known but not yet arrested, as the investigation is ongoing. The police would like to remind residents to always lock their doors, even if only going out for a short time.
On Thursday, January 5, there was another case of housebreaking in Lotusville, this time in Vagie Street. An elderly man, who lives in a shack, had secured his door only with a piece of wire when he left, and whilst he was out, someone broke in and stole groceries.
On the same day, all four wheels were taken off a quad bike that was standing in the yard of a house in Meyer Street in town.
The final housebreaking case was on Saturday night, from a house in Koggelmander Street in Lotusville. The complainant was at work on Saturday night, and went home on Sunday morning to find the security gate had been removed. Cash, groceries and clothing had been taken.
There was one reported case of reckless and negligent driving. This occurred on the R61 between Aberdeen and Beaufort West last Tuesday afternoon.
Three vehicles were involved: a Toyota Corolla and a VW Polo travelling towards Beaufort West, and a Quantum taxi on its way to the former Transkei. According to the drivers of the cars, as the taxi came towards them it was swerving between its own side of the road and the centre of the road, and so both cars veered off the side of the road to avoid a collision.
The Quantum driver stopped and admitted swerving into the middle of the road. Statements were taken from all three drivers, and a charge of reckless and negligent driving was opened.
One case of assault GBH was reported during a domestic dispute. A man tried to intervene in a fight between his wife and his son about the son’s girlfriend. The 19-year-old man stabbed his father in the neck with a kitchen knife. The older man was admitted to Aberdeen Hospital, but has since been discharged.
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