A 54-year-old man who allegedly robbed a woman on their first date, was arrested at his home in Chatsworth, earlier today (Thursday).
Prem Balram, the head of Reaction Unit South Africa(Rusa), said reaction officers were called out to assist a stranded woman at a service station in Verulam on Wednesday.
He said the 66-year-old woman of Isipingo, had told the officers she had been chatting to the man for three months on the online dating site Badoo and that they had met for the first time.
The man allegedly fled with the woman’s handbag which contained R2000 cash and other belongings, after she jumped out of the vehicle at the service station.
Balram said after a viewing CCTV footage and conducting an investigation, officers began searching for the man.
“Early this morning, officers received information and located the car in Montford, Chatsworth. After a brief observation, officers approached a 74-year-old woman who pointed out her son as the perpetrator. The man was located in his bedroom and arrested.
“When interviewed, the man informed officers that he had seen an opportunity to flee with her belongings when the woman had got off his vehicle to freshen up.
“He claimed that he decided to speed off when the woman had become demanding for financial assistance. He alleged that he was further infuriated when she questioned him regarding the use of a sex enhancement tablet,” he said.
Balram said the man informed the officers that after he fled, he went to a casino and lost R1600 at the slot machines.
“He then used R400 of the stolen money to buy engine oil for his vehicle.”
Balram added that the man’s mother had told officers that he had previously been arrested in several similar cases since 2020.
“She added that her son had thrown the woman’s cellphone behind a built-in cupboard upon noticing officers outside her property.”