A 40-year-old man will appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court on Monday after security guards at a municipal office in Central apprehended the suspect.

This follows a series of break-ins at municipal offices in Central over the past week.

Police spokesperson Capt Sandra Janse van Rensburg said police are investigating two cases of housebreaking, as well as a case of attempted housebreaking, after culprits allegedly gained access to the Mfanasekhaya Qobose Building and Brister House in Govan Mbeki Avenue on three separate occasions.

Janse van Rensburg said four laptops were stolen after the burglars gained access to the Mfanasekhaya Qobose Building through a broken window last weekend, between Friday December 11 and Monday December 14.

A second incident occurred the following Wednesday at about 3.50am, she said.

“A security guard was allegedly patrolling the building when he heard a loud noise outside. Upon investigation he came across a suspect carrying a box.

“The suspect dropped the box and ran away when the guard chased him,” she said.

The suspect allegedly gained access by breaking a glass door.

A third incident took place on Friday at 4.15am at Brister House.

Janse van Rensburg said a security guard heard a vehicle next to Brister House, but it drove off when he went to investigate.

“Soon afterward the guard heard glass breaking, and upon investigation found a glass door broken.

“A suspect came running out of the building, but the guard and his colleague managed to apprehend the 40-year-old suspect,” she said.

Nothing was stolen during the third incident.

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