iSERVICE

"Hero cop saves girl!" – Daily Sun

"Mum – Letshego rescued my angel from a monster" – front page lead, June 11 2015

Daily Sun (June 11 2015) - AS FAR as traffic cop Letshego is concerned, she was only doing her job.

But the parents of an eight-year-old girl are grateful that Letshego saved their little angel.

TODAY THE CHILD IS SAFE IN HER MOTHER’S ARMS BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE COP.

“I am so glad that the traffic cop saved my daughter from a monster,” said Esther Jobo from Glen, about 30km fromBloemfontein in the Free State.

“God knows what he was going to do with my angel.”

The intentions of the 23-year-old suspect charged with kidnapping, among other charges, are not clear, but cops found a box of condoms, a garden rake and a black glove in his car.

Inspector Letshego Makitle told Daily Sun she was patrolling yesterday morning when she spotted a man in a Kia Picanto jumping a stop sign.

“He was throwing schoolbags out of the car,” said Letshego.

“Then I saw two young schoolgirls screaming and getting out of the car. I went to find out what was happening.”

That’s when the pupils told her the man had kidnapped their school mate.

Letshego didn’t hesitate. She chased the suspect and finally caught up with him near Glen.

“I managed to get in front of him and blocked him, forcing him to stop. He opened the door and tried to run away but my colleague, Inspector Mosiuwa Molai who followed me, caught him.

“I took the shocked little girl out of the suspect’s car and comforted her,” said Letshego.

According to another traffic cop, the handcuffed man was put in the back seat of a cop car but managed to jump into the driver’s seat and tried to drive off.

“He hit a police car and drove into a manhole,” said the cop.

“Then he locked himself in the car and the window had to be broken to open it.”

Traffic spokeswoman Hilary Mophethe said the department was happy and proud that their inspector had shown such bravery and managed to save the child. Police spokesman Sergeant Ian Gaobepe said: “A case of kidnapping, malicious damage to property and reckless and negligent driving was opened after an 8-year-old girl was kidnapped by a 24-year-old university student.

“He will appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court soon and more charges might be added.”

See the Daily Sun’s new website for more on this and other stories....

 

The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 274 165 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 2nd Quarter 2014) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.

Issued through the Politicsweb iService