Fierce chase foils Beacon Bay house robbers
Dramatic scenes played out in affluent Beacon Bay suburb in East London yesterday when heavily armed police and security guards chased seven housebreaking suspects.
Police said a chase between K9 Unit, detectives in civilian clothing led by station commander of Beacon Bay, Colonel Thaynne Petzer, ensued from Carissa Crescent all the way to the path to the Nahoon River mouth below the Blue Lagoon hotel.
A surfer fled from the Nahoon beach parking lot and a senior woman walking her dog was left fearful when Red Alert guards roared up near the Lifesaver’s shack, leapt out with guns in hand and ran to the river mouth, said surfer Kevin Harris.
AlgoaFM celebrity announcer Gordon Graham was on his road bicycle in Hillcrest Drive when a private security warned him not to carry on in case he got shot.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said two foreign nationals, aged 36 and 42, were arrested for attempted housebreaking while four were still at large.
A Polo VW was recovered in the driveway of the targeted home and the driver was arrested. Three cellphones were found in the car.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) revealed that a second car, a Ford Fiesta, with four suspects arrived on the scene and later sped away.
Three suspects were seen on CCTV cameras fleeing on foot towards the beach.
Mqala said the suspects triggered a security beam at the house before 10am.
She said a private armed response team was first to get there and “fired a single warning shot” as suspects ran.
Mqala said a member of the neighbourhood watch spotted the Polo in the driveway.
“When the member of the patrol approached the suspect he claimed to be living in that house but the patrol member told him that he was lying because he knew the owners.”
The suspects tried to reverse but the CPF member and Colonel Petzer, who was also one of the first on the scene, blocked the car.
Mqala said a suspect was found inside the property, hiding behind a wall.
Graham said: “Just about every security company was there. One guy said ‘Listen dude, turn around. It is not safe’. Somebody spooked them and they bolted to Blue Lagoon. Police, some in unmarked cars, and private security cars, criss-crossed the area like crazy. There were about 10 cars racing around on a mission. People were freaked out. Everyone was out on the streets. The security and cops got there really fast.”
Harris said: “Three Red Alert guys arrived at the beach all gung ho, weapons drawn, and went into the dunes and then to the river mouth.
“One surfer said ‘You must get out of here, Get out of here! Then he was gone.
“It was quite traumatising, especially for the older folk.”