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For IOL reporter 
3h ago
Durban – An alleged cell phone thief got more than he bargained for when he scaled a fence in an apartment block near Durban beach and tried to steal a cell phone that belonged to a young mother.
What is clear from the CCTV images of the event is that the assailant did not anticipate that the woman would defend herself and turn him around.
The drama unfolded Wednesday in the Barcelona apartment block near North Beach when the alleged thief jumped the floor fence and accosted two women who were with their children in the pool.
When he pounced on one of the women, the thief grabs the phone from the table, but she fights back and in seconds has it on her back foot and running away.
In the process of his escape, he drops a package containing his identification and court documents.
Raz Ali, the founder of Boss-Uip Security Specialists, whose company is contracted by the Urban Improvement Precinct companies on the beach, said that among the documents the thief dropped were parole documents from prison services.
“While it is not confirmed whether it is in fact the same person who dropped the identification and documents, what we can say is that he was on probation for a similar crime,” he said.
Ali said his security company was expelling loitering and petty crime from the beach, but these elements were now operating outside where his security operates.
“Now that we have cleared the beachfront, they are looking for opportunities in the buildings to the rear. It is very opportunistic as was the case here and an act of desperation, ”he said.
Ali said the thief managed to steal the woman’s cell phone before fleeing and warned others not to confront the criminals.
“It could have turned out a lot different if that guy was armed with a knife or something like that,” he said.
“It is a proud moment for women, but I would not advise anyone to react in that way. It just shows the levels of frustration in our society that we are constantly in a state of readiness to fight if you look at how this woman reacted. Under normal circumstances, you would go to cover your children and protect them, but this shows how frustrated we are with crime, ”Ali said.
A robbery case was being opened with the Durban Central Police Station.
MESS
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