A festive Friday night birthday bash for the owner of the Sandbar Pub & Kitchen in Langebaan ended on a different kind of “high” note when two burglars who apparently tried to gate-crash the party through the roof were apprehended on the ceiling of the building in the Marra Square.
Friday night’s birthday party for owner Sandi Roberts was already done and dusted when one of the cleaning staff members, Alice, went to the restroom around 01:15. According to the owner of the Sandbar Kitchen, Andrea Hogeveen, Alice heard sounds from the ceiling while wood chips rained down on her. Telltale drill holes in the ceiling indicated that one or more people were on the ceiling. Alice immediately ran to get help and the Police was summoned.
In the end, local musician Shane (Sonkind) Heynie, who was performing at the Sandbar earlier that night, came to the rescue. He climbed through the trapdoor in the ceiling of the toilet and apprehended one suspect while another got away. The Police handcuffed the suspect and took him into custody.
Further investigation revealed several similar drill holes around ceiling light fixtures in the bathroom of the Sandbar, as well as in the bathroom of the adjacent Potjie Restaurant and even the Bay Gallery. (Photos attached). The culprits apparently gained access to the roof of the building and drilled various holes through the ceiling to orientate themselves with the layout of the building in order to find suitable access to shops in the Marra Square.
According to Holgeveen, the Sandbar Pub has a concrete ceiling and they would not have been able to get access through it, but the Sandbar’s kitchen, bathroom and the other shops in the Square provide easy access.
The fact that Shane Heynie, who recently was the victim of a house break and consequent knife attack, had to apprehend the suspects in the ceiling while the Police looked on, was widely criticized.
Shane could not be reached for comment as all his cellphones were stolen in his recent ordeal. Roberts preferred not to comment.
Also read: http://www.weskusontheline.co.za/2016/10/07/sanger-shane-sonkind-oorleef-huisbraak-en-mesaanval-maar-ontnugter-in-polisie/
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