Teens held for housebreaking

Laptop stolen in Greenshields Park burglary

TWO teenagers who beg for money at a traffic intersection in Walmer were arrested yesterday morning for breaking into a house in Greenshields Park. The two, who cannot be named as they are aged 16 and 15, were caught walking down Starling Crescent with a stolen laptop.

Atlas Security officials arrested the two after a laptop was stolen from a house in Prestwick Crescent shortly before 10am.

The boys, who beg for money at the 17th Avenue intersection, said a friend named Andile had given them the laptop.

“He stands with us [at the intersection] and gave the laptop to us to carry,” the 16-year-old said.

“He told us to take it home and he would collect it later. We are innocent and were just carrying it for him.”

Both denied breaking into the house, but were caught carrying a large knife, gloves, a balaclava and the stolen laptop.

Asked why they were walking with the laptop wrapped in jackets, they refused to answer.

The two teenagers, who live in Walmer township, said they had started begging in 2014 after dropping out of school.

Asked who would buy the laptop, the 16-year-old said “Andile” sold them in Central.

“He [Andile] told us he gets R2 000 for a laptop and he gives us R100 each for carrying it.”

Questioning them about the spate of burglaries around the Walmer Heights area, both said they knew the culprits involved.

Atlas Security operations manager Monty Montgomery said both teens were known for burglaries in the Charlo, Walmer, Mount Pleasant and Walmer Heights areas.

“We know these two very well. They work with several groups and have been arrested numerous times,” he said.

Montgomery said more than 25 street children had been arrested for burglaries across Nelson Mandela Bay in the past four months.

The arrest of the two came soon after another two houses were burgled in Charlo and Walmer between 8am and 10am.

“We know these street kids work in groups and that begging for money at the intersections is more a cover,” Montgomery said.

“These are well-organised groups and not just random burglaries like one would assume.”

He said recruiters targeted “street kids” to do their dirty work, which was orchestrated by ringleaders who had several children working for them

In terms of the Children’s Act, a child cannot be arrested for a schedule 1 offence – like burglary or theft – unless there are compelling reasons.

Police spokesman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said that the laptop was linked to a burglary at Prestwick Crescent.

She said the two teens would be held at Nerina One-Stop Child Justice Centre before appearing in the children’s court.