'I saw him swallow the rings'
2007-10-10 09:15
Bloemfontein - A young thief who quickly swallowed six stolen diamond rings in a Bloemfontein jewellery store was just as quickly made to drink a laxative.
Rean Pieterse, owner of the Jewel Craft jewellery store in the Brandwag Centre, said it was not a nice task to clean up the rings, but at least he had them back.
"The thief, a minor, must have watched us and noticed that the counter where the rings were displayed was not manned.
"He walked into the store and leaned over the counter. In a matter of seconds he'd grabbed 20 gold diamond rings.
"I called Johnny Motja, an employee, and he confronted the child.
'Quick as a flash'
Motja said, "The child was wide-awake and quick as a flash but we saw him grabbing the rings on the security cameras.
"I told him to give them back and I took fourteen rings off him.
Then he turned his back on me and I saw him stuff the others in his mouth and swallow them!"
Pieterse said he took stock, and saw that six of his rings were gone.
"The rings were already in his stomach. He denied everything and I decided to take the law into my own hands."
The pharmacist next door advised Pieterse to use some strong laxatives.
"We took the suspect to a security room next door."
The security guard searched him but didn't find the knife he had on him.
He tied the child to a cupboard and made him take the laxative.
The security guard locked him in the room and left him a potty to do his business in, Pieterse told laughingly.
He said they waited for about three hours for the laxative to take effect.
"The boy's stomach was growling but he was hopping around and saying he didn't think the laxative was working. We decided to lock him in the security room overnight.
The suspect took out his knife and unscrewed the handles on the cupboard door. He freed himself and tried to climb out through the roof.
"When three of the security guards and I opened the door the next morning the suspect, with his hands still tied, streaked past us like a flash and ran off."
Pieterse said although the suspect disappeared, the rings that he'd swallowed, valued at about R12 000, had landed in the potty.
"We're busy cleaning the rings. Believe me, it's not a nice job. But anyone who tries to steal from us should take note what they're letting themselves in for," he laughed.
Pieterse said he hadn't filed charges at the police because they'd told him that the child was a minor and would just be handed over to his parents.