Unhappy birthday for burglar nabbed on the job

A burglar rifling through a house got an unexpected birthday gift – his own pair of handcuffs.

Cape Town metro police officers on patrol in Rondebosch East were alerted to a burglary in progress just after noon on Friday.

Metro police spokesperson Sergeant Ruth Solomons said a resident told officers that the thief was still inside his home.

“Officers followed up and did a sweep of the premises‚” said Solomons. The burglar was caught red-handed.

“They found the suspect in one of the rooms‚ still busy collecting his bounty‚” she said.

But‚ there was a twist in the tale.

“The 30-year-old suspect was arrested and detained at Athlone SAPS. Officers discovered that it is his birthday while registering the case docket.”