Cape Town - A suspect outsmarted Hout Bay cops when he escaped from a cell by climbing through a vent after a gate was allegedly left unlocked.
According to a source, the 55-year-old man vanished without a trace from Hout Bay Police Station on Sunday afternoon just hours after he was caught red-handed breaking into a house.
“That ou was arrested on Sunday morning and they caught him in the house he broke into.
“They took him to the police station and put him in the holding cell.
“He was being kept with other people, but that station is mos small so when the people get processed, they get taken to another station where they are kept before they go to court.”
The source says during the day, detectives went to the cells to process those arrested and the man was left on his own.
“The holding cell was locked, but on the other side of the cell is a gate that leads to a small kitchen. That gate was not locked,” adds the source.
“The detectives came and processed their people and he was on his own and saw the silver vent that leads up in the building from the stove.
“So he moved the stove and slipped through the vent and escaped.
“When the shift commander went to the cells about 3pm, he noticed the guy was missing.”
Police spokesperson, Sgt. Noloyiso Rwexana, confirms: “A 55-year-old man who was arrested for housebreaking and theft escaped from police custody and police are following up on leads that will lead to his arrest.”