'Tyre slasher' behind bars
2009-09-23
THE suspected tyre slasher was eventually arrested in New Street, Paarl, this week. This Congolese man, currently only known as Bruno, has been clashing with the law, and the public of Paarl, for more than a year now. According to estimates, Bruno has allegedly been responsible for flattening more than 100 motor car tyres in New Street in central Paarl. His modus operandi is to stick a thin, sharp object into tyres, which causes a slow puncture. Often the flat tyre is only discovered the following morning. And because nobody has had any concrete eye-witness evidence that this was indeed the handiwork of Bruno, he could never be picked up by police for his criminal activities. But Bruno’s reign of terror came to an abrupt end this week, after he had bitten off more than what he could chew. Last Thursday, when Jacques de Villiers left the gym in New Street, he caught Bruno red-handed fiddling with his car tyres. “But Bruno has a reputation of being violent, and he had a sharp object in his hand. I was not prepared to risk confronting him. “My tyres were also not flat then, but when two tyres were flat the next day, I reported the case to the police.” An arrangement was made that De Villiers would accompany police to New Street on Monday evening to positively identify the culprit. And when police vehicles descended upon the area at 18:20 they found Bruno calmly on the spot where he usually sits, hoping to get a few rands for his parking skills. All that the suspect had to say, was ‘leave me alone’. Bruno and his baggage, which is permanently with him, were taken to Paarl police station. Here he was thoroughly searched, but no weapon was found in his possession. Bruno will now be appearing in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on charges of malicious damage to property. If found guilty on these charges, he could face deportation back to his country of origin. This self-proclaimed car guard was arrested last year, after he hit then Gymnasium High School principal Basjan Reinhardt over the head with a bottle. At the time he was charged with assault, but due to a flawed legal system, he was released. Now the public of Paarl are holding thumbs that central Paarl will be rid of the problem.
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