The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
A suspected commercial sex worker has been arrested after she stole a car from a client while they were sleeping at a lodge before crashing into a pre-cast wall in Hillside, Bulawayo.
She then took various belongings in the car before abandoning it, police have confirmed. In a statement, Bulawayo provincial police spokesman Inspector Abedinico Ncube said police have arrested Cwebisile Hlengiwe Moyo of Granada Flats on Samuel Parirenyatwa Street and Fifth Avenue over the matter. Insp Ncube said Moyo met her client at Macs Garage last weekend.
The two agreed to spend the night together and then booked a room at a local lodge along Lobengula Street between Connaught and Masotsha avenues. The man parked his car outside the lodge and they proceeded into their room where they spent the night.
Insp Ncube said during the wee hours of the morning, the man woke up and noticed that Moyo was no longer in the room which prompted him to check his belongings at which point he realised that his car keys were also missing from his pockets.
He checked outside where he had parked his vehicle and saw that the car was missing. He tried to call on the number Moyo had given him but it was unreachable. Insp Ncube said the man made a report later around midday and police started investigating.
He said on 2 November, police were advised that Moyo was at her place of residence and an arrest was made. During interrogation, Moyo told the police that she had been involved in an accident in Hillside on the day she had fled with the vehicle.
She told the police that she crashed into a pre-cast wall and proceeded to abandon the vehicle at the scene.
The vehicle was extensively damaged with a shattered windscreen and windows, as well as damage to the front of the vehicle and was towed away pending further investigations.
She is also accused of stealing items that were in the car which she allegedly sold in the city. Moyo led the police to her buyers where some of the stolen goods including a size 15 commercial wheel, a motor vehicle bumper, a set of dolphin pots and water glasses were recovered.
The vehicle is valued at US$7 480 while the total value of goods including those that were not recovered stands at US$4 490.
Meanwhile, police have also arrested a 29-year-old man from Cowdray Park in Bulawayo in connection with several armed robberies in the city after being on the run since July this year. Bruce Moyo was wanted by the police and had been on the run for several months while his accomplices were already serving jail sentences.
Insp Ncube said in one of the robberies, the complainant was asleep in his home along with his wife when he heard the sound of breaking glass.
Upon leaving his bedroom to investigate, the complainant met Moyo and his accomplices who were armed with pistols. The complainant ran back to his bedroom when he realised that Moyo and his partners were armed, but they managed to catch up with him.
The armed robbers tied his hand and leg together using a rope and demanded cash from him. They got away with USD20, BWP1 300, $30 000, 19 Nokia 106 cellphones, a Samsung A10 cellphone, a Huawei cellphone, an Acer laptop as well as bank cards.
“On Thursday, 4 November our Criminal Investigations Department (Homicide) received information as to the whereabouts of one Bruce Moyo who had been wanted since July for a series of armed robberies. Officers then followed up on this intelligence and managed to apprehend the suspect without incident. As the Zimbabwe Republic
Police, we would like to applaud members of the public for their diligence. It is with their help that we were able to apprehend the suspect.”
Police on Wednesday also arrested Thobelani Bhebhe from Emakhandeni after being found in possession of a pangolin skin. Bhebhe (25) will be charged with possession of a specially protected animal trophy and is expected to appear in court soon.
