Suspect Lived in Hercules Police Station’s Roof for Several Days, Found With Stolen Goods

• Police at Hercules Police Station in Pretoria found and arrested an intruder who had been living in the ceiling of the station
• Plice in the station found the suspect had stolen a cellphone and laptop, as well as tampering with the network cables in the station
• The suspect faces charges of tampering with essential infrastructure and business burglary and will appear in court next week

PRETORIA - On Sunday night (30 January) police at Hercules Police Station in Pretoria found and arrested an intruder, Thabang Chauke, who had been living in the ceiling of the station for several days and stealing items from the offices.

Brigadier Brenda Muridili told Briefly News that police in the station found Chauke had stolen a cellphone and laptop, as well as tampering with the network cables in the station. Police also found a screwdriver in the suspect's possession when they searched him.

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What the suspect did while he was hiding out in the ceiling

Chauke, aged 32, is being held in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court next week. He faces charges of tampering with essential infrastructure and business burglary. It is not clear at present how the suspect gained access to the ceiling.

According to TimesLIVE, Muridili could not confirm how Chauke sustained himself while he hid in the ceiling or how many days he was up there before police station staff found him.

Two offices in the police station showed signs of forced entry, namely that of the visible policing commander and station commander. The store was missing bullet proof vests and uniforms.

South Africans react to police station intruder

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@dima_onzima remarked:

"Only in SA."

@KeSeRomeo believes:

"S.A. is alive with possibilities."

@ojmassango said:

"Voluntary incarceration."

@magaya123 shared:

"What a movie!"

Mzansi finds it hilarious that Malamulele Police Station was robbed of firearms

Speaking of theft at police stations, Briefly News previously reported that a group of armed criminals robbed a police station in the township of Malamulele in Limpopo over the weekend.

The crew made off with multiple firearms and ammunition from the police's arsenal. The cops at the station were reportedly forced into the back of a police van as the criminals stole from the safe, which was unlocked by one officer who was being held by the gang.

Col Athlenda Mathe, SAPS spokesperson, says the robbery took place at around 11pm on Sunday. Mathe says following the robbery at the police station, the criminals went to a nearby filling station and robbed it too.

Source: Briefly News