A man suspected of breaking into the Park Drive Bowling Club in Central died in the back of a police van minutes after being arrested.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu, the burglary happened at 7am on Monday and one suspect, aged 26, was arrested while climbing out of the bowling club building.
On Tuesday another suspect was arrested, and died in the police van.
The man, who was wearing a reflective car-guard bib and who was apparently a wellknown car guard in the area, was found dead, face down, in the back of the vehicle, 10 minutes after being arrested.
It was established after the burglary that the thieves had fled with woods (bowls), sports gear and liquor, Naidu said.
At that stage, it was not known how many people had broken in, she said
On Tuesday morning, police received a tip-off about a man near the clubhouse who had been spotted carrying bowls. “Police arrested the suspect. “He was detained and placed in the back of the police van while the officials [took] witness statements.
“When the police officer returned to the vehicle about 10 minutes later, the man was found lying on the van floor.”
Naidu said the man, aged about 32, was a known vagrant, who posed as a car guard in the area. His name is not yet known.
“According to witnesses who alerted the police, the suspect was allegedly beaten by another two men,” she said.
By 11am on Tuesday, another alleged burglar had been caught hiding in the park.
Park Drive Bowling Club president Richard Shepard said the club had experienced endless issues with crime in adjacent St George’s Park.
“Crime is out of control here, the authorities need to act but for some reason they are failing to do so,” he said.
The nearby Port Elizabeth Bowling Club has also been plagued with vandalism and attempted burglaries in recent months.
Member Tony Wellington said on Wednesday: “There has been an influx of vagrants who appear to have set up camp in St George’s Park.
“I have reported it to the municipality and we are waiting to hear what is to be done.”