Port Elizabeth: The arrest of one of Bethelsdorp most wanted suspect will ensure the finalisation of many cases. The Mount Road Cluster OCC Tracing Team arrested Nataniel Stokes (25) during the early hours of this morning, 06 March 2018. It is alleged that at about 03:30 the Tracing Team members surrounded a house in Chatty 12 in Bethelsdorp after receiving information from the public. The suspect was seen through the window climbing into the ceiling. When police entered the house, the suspect refused to come down. About 20 minutes later, the suspect was apprehended.
Stokes is wanted on an attempted robbery case allegedly committed in January 2015. He is also positively linked through fingerprints to 13 other cases committed in the Bethelsdorp area. All of these cases are housebreaking cases committed from 2015 to 2017.
It is alleged that on 1 January 2015, the complainant in the attempted robbery case was walking in Govan Mbeki Avenue when he was approached by two unknown males. One of them asked the complainant for a cigarette and when the complainant replied that he didn’t have a cigarette, a firearm and knife was produced. The complainant managed to run away and stop a patrolling police vehicle. The suspects on seeing the police started running. One suspect was arrested inside a shopping mall and a toy gun and knife was found in his possession.
Stokes alias Boertjie was arrested and appeared in court in January 2015. He was released on bail to appear again on 3 March 2015. He failed to appear and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Since then he has been on a rampage breaking into houses in the Bethelsdorp area. He will be charged on all 13 cases and will appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrates’ court on Thursday, 8 March 2018.
The Acting Cluster Commander for Mount Road Cluster, Brigadier Andrew Louw expressed his appreciation to the community for their assistance in tracing the suspect. He also commended the tracing team for the immediate following up on the information which led to the successful arrest.
Source: South African Police Service