- Two people were arrested in Umhlanga after a high-speed chase.
- They lost control of their vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before they were apprehended.
- It is believed they stole a peacock for good luck.
Two people were arrested in Umhlanga, north of Durban, on Monday morning after being pursued in a high-speed chase by a local security company.
This came after they stole a peacock and then tried to steal a car.
A statement by Marshall Security said the suspects unsuccessfully attempted to steal a white Toyota Etios before fleeing the scene in a maroon Etios sedan.
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They were chased by armed response officers and a special operations unit.
“The suspects lost control of their vehicle opposite the BP petrol station on Umhlanga Rocks Drive and rolled until coming to a stop. The suspects then proceeded to flee on foot before members of our Special Operations Team gave chase and apprehended the two suspects on a property not far from the scene,” Tyron Powell, managing director at Marshall Security, told News24.
The two suspects were handed over to be arrested by police.
Twist
The vehicle had false registration plates, and tools used to break into cars were found in the boot, the statement said.
In an unexpected twist of events, a peacock named Henry was also found in the boot of the perpetrators’ overturned car.
Powell told News24 the peacock was stolen in the early hours of Monday morning in Malvern before the suspects attempted to steal a car in Umdloti.
Marshall Security called veteran snake catcher Jason Arnold to assist with Henry.
Arnold said he’d never rescued a peacock before.
He took the bird to Broken Wings, a bird rehabilitation centre, where Henry was checked for any injuries before being returned to his owner later on Monday afternoon.
The snake catcher said although it may seem peculiar to want to steal a peacock, he had learnt that, in some cultures, peacocks are a symbol of good luck.
“I don’t know if good luck was a case of keeping the peacock in the car while they steal cars and hope they don’t get caught, or they were going to take it home and keep it on their premises,” he said.
Henry’s owner Ashley Maritz is upset by the events and told News24 he was going to open a case of theft against the perpetrators.
“The lady next door called me to tell me that two guys had taken Henry by the tail and thrown him in the back of their car,” he said, spewing vitriol at another security company in the area.
“Every day they patrol night and day, then such incidents happen. So what is the point of having them around?” he asked.
Henry did not sustain any injuries in the incident.
Maritz added that he has had Henry for 10 years and nothing had ever happened before.
He has, subsequently, beefed up security around the bird’s enclosure.
Read the original article on News 24
