Following our article in last Friday’s issue of the Laudium Sun, whereby an alleged nyaope was arrested by members of the public and the local CPF, after breaking into a property on Lotus Street last Monday (July 29) and was subsequently released by the Laudium police, as the victims refused to open charges, the same accused has once more been arrested.
The Laudium Sun also reported that the Laudium CPF was outraged, when learning of the release of the suspect, more so as the victims refused to open charges against the suspect. However, just two days after the Lotus Str incident, the same suspect was arrested last Wednesday (July 31) after being accused of stealing from a home on Carmine Str.
The suspect known as Sello Makena, who told the Laudium Sun that he lives in Lotus Gardens, was spotted at a Carmine Str home by the granddaughter and other members of the Chhotu family, stealing a step ladder. Owner of the house, Susanna Chhotu told the Laudium Sun, “I was on my way from the hospital when I got a phone call from my granddaughter who was totally distraught, telling me that she was hearing sounds on the roof of the house and that there was an intruder in the yard. As I was not nearby and thus could not get to my house immediately, I called some of my family members living in the area, informing them of what my granddaughter had told me and asked them to assist.”
Susanna further explained that she was told that the thief got into the yard through the front gate, then jumped over the palisade fencing that is on the sides of the inside part of the yard and then proceeded to the back part of the yard where the step ladder was stored. What disturbed Susanna more was that after stealing the stepladder and leaving, the thief later came back to peep into a window to see if there was someone inside the house, probably with the aim of breaking into the
house.
Meanwhile a family member posted an alert notice on one of the community social media platforms for assistance and the Laudium CPF together with others arrested the suspected thief on the corner of 19th Ave and Military Road. The suspect who was then identified as Sello was detained but without the stepladder as it was alleged that he sold it at a nearby home in Whiteblocks, known for buying stolen goods. Neighbour, Rajes Ramjee, said “I was surprised when I saw a lot of cars outside my neighbour’s house and that is when I heard about the theft. Crime is getting out of hand in Laudium and I hope the police do something to stop it.”
Shaheen Wahab chair of the Laudium CPF added, “The reluctance by residents in Laudium to open charges after they fall victim to crime is a major problem, as it results in more and more criminals walking freely on our streets, terrorizing residents knowing that they will eventually get away with the crimes they commit. If the crime victims of Lotus Street had opened a police case, then there
would not have been a problem for the people of Carmine Str, who are now also living in fear. Fortunately the residents on Carmine Str have opened a police case and we are going to assist them throughout the process to ensure that they get justice and that the perpetrator remains behind bars.”