A cell phone thief drowned and died in the ocean while he was running away from the police in Gqeberha on Monday night.
Cell Phone Thief Drowns In the Ocean In Gqeberha
On 20 May 2024, at around 8.30 pm, two robbers targeted a 36-year-old man along Beach Road in Brookes Hill. The two suspected robbers then pointed a gun at the man and demanded his phone. The terrified man complied and surrendered his gadget before the two fled away.
However, the thieves did not notice that Metro police officers patrolling the area had seen them. The cops then got on their heels to chase the two criminals.
They managed to apprehend one, a 39-year-old. His partner in crime threw away his firearm and sprinted across the road and onto the beach.
As the suspect fled from arrest, he escaped into the sea and hid behind huge boulders. The sea waves washed him off, and he drowned.
Police Narrate What Happened To The Criminal
South African Police Service (SAPS) Eastern Cape spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed the incident:
“It is alleged that at about 20:30, a 36-year-old male was robbed of his cell phone at gunpoint by two males on Beach Road in Brookes Hill. The suspects demanded his cellphone and fled, however Metro Police officers on patrol spotted the incident and chased after the suspects.
“A 39-year-old suspect was arrested, while the other suspect disposed of the firearm and ran across the road and onto the beach. While attempting to evade arrest, he ran into the sea and hid behind the big rocks.
“Due to the rough sea conditions, SAPS Search and Rescue, as well as SAPS Diving Unit, were unable to reach him. Unfortunately, the suspect’s body washed ashore this morning [21 May 2024] on King’s Beach. The cell phone was recovered, and a replica firearm was confiscated. The 39-year-old suspect is detained on a charge of armed robbery.”