Eagle eye nailed Springs ‘hammer man’ suspect in Richards bay
Flying Squad member W/O Johan Kotze put Gerhardus Viljoen in handcuffs in front of the Lakeside shopping precinct in a sting operation supported by civilians, including AfriForum safety network members
THE incredible ability to identify a felon who hardly seemed to resemble the person on the ‘wanted’ poster, led to the arrest of the Springs ‘hammer man’ suspect on Saturday.
Flying Squad member W/O Johan Kotze put Gerhardus Viljoen in handcuffs in front of the Lakeside shopping precinct in a sting operation supported by civilians, including AfriForum safety network members.
But it was the eagle eye of a member of the public, who wishes to remain anonymous, that led to the arrest of the man who went on the run after allegedly beating a Good Samaritan citizen with a hammer in November last year.
The victim subsequently died from his severe injuries.
After Viljoen absconded the scene, police in Springs circulated a flyer that found its way to Richards Bay, and although the picture bore scant resemblance to how the arrestee now looks, trained eyes led to his downfall.
Springs detectives verified the identity at the Richards Bay SAPS holding cells on Sunday morning after driving through the night.
Hours later they hit the long road back – with Viljoen in tow.
He appeared in court on Tuesday, facing a murder charge.
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