An intruder believed to have broken into the Hercules police station in Pretoria spent several days hiding out in the ceiling before being caught on Sunday night.
The suspect, Thabang Chauke (32) is in custody and will make his second appearance in court next week on charges of business burglary and tampering with essential infrastructure.
Police spokesperson, Brig Brenda Muridili, said that the manner in which Chauke gained entry to the premises was part of the investigation.
His hiding spot was discovered on Sunday when the officers on duty heard strange noises and realized it was coming from the ceiling. They went to investigate and spotted the suspect.
“They arrested him,” Muridili said.
A search of the ceiling led detectives to find a laptop and cellphone, among other things. Chauke had a screwdriver in his possession when he was apprehended.
“Upon searching the premises it was discovered that the suspect had broken into the offices of the station commander and the visible policing commander,” Muridili said, because uniforms and bullet proof vests were taken from those stores.
The suspect is alleged to have tampered with the police station’s network cables in the roof, which have since been fixed.
It is unknown how long he was in the ceiling or how he managed to survive.
Sources: MSN, Press Reader
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