A 23-year-old man was arrested and assaulted by the community following a robbery in Temple Valley – Verulam today.
Members of Reaction Unit South Africa were called to the scene by a member of public requesting assistance for a female who had been robbed on Lotus Road. Upon arrival, the victim explained that she had picked up her three children aged between 6 and 10 from school and was walking home when she was accosted by two individuals.
Both men drew knives and robbed the woman of her handbag before fleeing on foot over the railway line leading to Lotusville.
Reaction Officers patrolled the area and found one of the suspects being assaulted by the public on Mimosa Road. The suspect was found in possession of a knife as well as a bottle of perfume and a pair of sunglasses which belonged to the victim.
He confirmed that he and his brother had both committed the robbery. As they fled the scene they shared the stolen goods among themselves before splitting up. He was apprehended by members of the community who witnessed the robbery and were searching for him.
The suspect also confirmed that he was convicted of armed robbery last year and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. After serving a portion of his sentence he was released on parole towards the latter part of 2017.
He was placed under arrest and handed over to Police for further investigation.