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10/07/2008 12:01 PM - (SA) Pastor came 'as if he was sent' 10-07-2008
Jan van der Westhuizen says the incident happened just after their visit to the dentist as he and his wife were walking towards their parked car at about 13:00. "I have difficulty walking and am more in a wheelchair than on my feet," Mr Van der Westhuizen told DistrictMail. "He said this time he was using a cane, and was holding onto his wife's arm, as she opened the car door. "Just then a man came running towards us. He grabbed my wife's bag which was slung around her arm, pulled it off, and continued to run down the street. "My wife ran after him, screaming and shouting. We were both extremely shocked." Mr Van der Merwe says a security guard from across the street who witnessed the robbery, also gave chase. His own legs gave way and he fell to his knees, but managed to get back on his feet and climb into his car. As he followed, he came across four teenagers in the road and appealed to them to help him catch the man who snatched his wife's handbag. They hesitated for a moment, but then agreed. At this stage, the fleeing man jumped over a garden wall. Two of the youths followed him over the wall, while two others ran to the next street where they managed to apprehend him. He hotly denied that he had stolen the bag, but it was found hidden under his jacket. Just then a big man in a green VW Citi Golf stopped at the scene. "So you are the man who has been robbing old people?" he asked, but the suspect denied this. Mr van der Merwe said he asked this big man whether he was a policeman. "No, a pastor," he answered, handing her handbag back to his wife. The youths wanted to know who would phone the police, but the pastor, after warning the suspect, let him go. Mr Van der Merwe said he does not know what the pastor's name was as he never had the chance to properly thank him. By the time he and his wife had thanked the youths and rewarded them for their help, the pastor was gone. "We would like to meet him again, to also thank him. I told my wife, it is just the Lord who would send a pastor on our way to help us."
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