Angry mob had been chasing the suspect after allegedly “catching him in the act”.
A SUSPECTED burglar lost part of his index finger when he was attacked by a dog as he tried to hide from an angry mob in Galeshewe.
The man was reportedly “rescued from the jaws of the dog” by police officers, after he had been cornered by angry residents who had apparently caught him in the act on Monday.
He was later let go by the police after an ambulance, which they had called for, did not arrive.
It is alleged that the man, who is accused of being a known burglar in the community, was found in possession of gate remotes, pepper sprays, cellphones and housebreaking tools.
An eyewitness, who was in Seleke Street at the time of the incident, said that the man came running from the direction of Bloemanda, after being attacked by the mob with bricks and sjamboks, and ran into the back room inside a yard in the area.
He allegedly stole a T-shirt and changed into it in an apparent effort to “disguise” himself.
“He left the room with the intention of jumping over the fence into another yard,” said the witness. “The dog was on a leash in the yard and he tried to move it in order to hide in its kennel. That is when the dog attacked him, while it was on the leash.”
Another witness revealed that it took a mighty effort from the police to free the man from the dog’s jaws.
“We just heard noises and people screaming and when we checked the street was full of people,” the witness said. “We are not sure who called the police as they arrived almost at the same time as the mob and tried to keep the angry mob calm.
“After the already injured man was saved from the dog the police called an ambulance.
“The owner of the stolen T-shirt arrived on the scene and undressed the man, taking back his T-shirt. He then threw the man’s own T-shirt at him, which he had left in his backyard,” added the witness.
According to another witness, the police let the man go after no one in the community claimed any of the items in his possession and no one was willing to open a case against him.
He said that while waiting for an ambulance, one ambulance did pass the scene, but the paramedics “took one look and passed on by” after telling the community that they had to attend to another case.
The police confirmed on Tuesday that they had attended a scene where a man had been bitten by a dog in a yard near Seleke Street in Galeshewe.
Police spokesperson Captain Sergio Kock said that the man was being chased by people who had accused him of stealing.
“Nothing stolen was found in his possession and no complainant came forth to lay a charge against this man,” said Kock.
