PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Residents are warned to remain vigilant about their surroundings, especially when leaving home, after at least two recent incidents of criminals targeting homes within minutes of the owners leaving.
Local neighbourhood watch group Plett.Watch's Lisa Nagel said there was a burglary in Hill Street last week. "The suspects fled when the alarm activated, but they pounced about 15 minutes after the owner left home," Nagel said.
A well-known criminal, who is currently out on parole, was spotted on CCTV footage snooping around Hanois Crescent and surrounds.
"This suspect was wearing a bright yellow mask, a charcoal beanie and a faded denim-coloured jacket. He was caught on camera in a property, likely scouting," Nagel said. This also happened within minutes of the property owners leaving the area.
Nagel said the two incidents showed that criminals are watching houses. "They nip in quickly when they know no one is home. Please be extra vigilant when leaving your premises for anyone lurking nearby."
In an unrelated incident, a Keurbooms businessman discovered a man on the side of the road in the area. He was beaten up and had been robbed of his bicycle and bag.
Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association (PBCPA) operations manager Otto Olivier said that one of their patrollers were in the Keurbooms vicinity and responded to the incident after an alert was sent out.
With the help of Smhart Security and Fidelity ADT the suspect was chased down and apprehended. The bicycle and the bag were also recovered within 10 minutes of the alert.
'We bring you the latest Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route news'
