K9 dog ‘Cylo’ sniffs out alleged teenage housebreaker in Gqeberha

A 13-year-old suspected housebreaker was found hiding in a bathroom at a home in Bluewater Bay in Gqeberha on Saturday, Eastern Cape police said.

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said members from the K9 unit assisted SAPS Swartkops and a security company after they received reports that an alarm was triggered at a house in De Mist.

Naidu said a K9 dog handler and his dog Cylo entered the house through a window.

“Cylo immediately reacted and ran to the bathroom. The teenager was found hiding on the shower wall. Bags of stolen items were found in the shower.

“The suspect was removed by the handler. The owner of the house was not at home,” Naidu said.

She said the teenager was released into the custody of a relative. He is expected to appear in the juvenile court on March 23 on a charge of housebreaking.

“Entry into the house was gained by slipping through the burglar bars.

“Police are advising homeowners to make sure that their burglar bars are securely fastened to their structure as well as to ensure that the space between the bars are narrow enough so as to deter any person from sliding through,” she said.

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