Many incidents of cellphone theft in Stellenbosch were recently reported, with several incidents taking place outside bars and clubs between 23:00 and 02:00 and involving a getaway vehicle that is parked nearby.
This is according to Capt Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for the Stellenbosch South African Police Service (SAPS).
A large number of cellphone thefts outside Stellenbosch clubs have been recorded in recent weeks, according to Capt Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for the South African Police Service Stellenbosch. The thefts usually take place in the early hours of the morning when club-goers call Ubers to head home, stated Martin. PHOTO: Téa Bell
“These types of crimes [cellphone theft] happen regularly due to people coming out of a pub/bar under the influence of alcohol and calling an Uber to pick them up,” stated Martin via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
“If you look at the number of incidents reported to [Fidelity ADT] that involve cases of cellphone theft, it does appear that this is happening often across town,” affirmed Paul Cilliers, branch manager for Fidelity ADT Security Group.
SAPS could not provide exact figures for the incidence of cellphone theft.
A getaway vehicle waits ready
In a recent incident, Kayla Prothero, a 21-year-old Stellenbosch University (SU) student, was standing on the Andringa Street sidewalk opposite Dorp, a bar in central Stellenbosch, when her cellphone was stolen at 00:31.
Prothero lost sight of her roommate whilst walking home from a night out, she stated. “I dialled her [the roommate’s] number and, as I lifted the phone to my ear, someone came around the corner, grabbed the phone from my hand and took off running,” said Prothero. The person ran about 10 m down the road, jumped into an idling white Ford Fiesta and drove off, she claimed.
When Prothero reported the incident to Stellenbosch SAPS the next morning, the officer on duty allegedly told her that they believed the suspect to be a professional and possibly part of a syndicate.
In light of high numbers of reported cellphone theft in Stellenbosch, Capt Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for the South African Police Service Stellenbosch, advised club-goers to “not stand with your cellphone in your hand when you’re done making a call. By all means, try and make contact with Uber while inside [a] pub or stand at the doorway where other people can see you and assist you.” PHOTO: Téa Bell
Martin stated that, although SAPS could not confirm the involvement of a syndicate, many of the recently reported incidents played out in a similar manner to Prothero’s. The reported crimes involved a suspect snatching the phone from a person standing outside of a club in the early hours of the morning, running off and climbing into a getaway vehicle parked nearby, explained Martin.
As of 13 May, Prothero’s case is still under investigation and no suspects have been identified, according to Martin.
“Do not stand with your cellphone in your hand when you’re done making a call. By all means, try and make contact with Uber while inside [a] pub or stand at the doorway where other people can see you and assist you,” advised Martin.
Kayla Prothero, 21-year-old Stellenbosch University student, told MatieMedia that she recently fell victim to cellphone theft in Stellenbosch. While she stood on the sidewalk opposite Dorp, a bar in central Stellenbosch, a man ran past her, snatched the phone from her hand and jumped into a getaway vehicle, Prothero explained. It is believed that the closed-circuit television cameras of Bohemia, another nearby bar, caught the getaway vehicle driving off after Prothero’s phone was taken. VIDEO: Supplied/Bertus Bekker