A burglar got more than he bargained for on Thursday when he was first nabbed by residents, then run over by a car as he escaped, and then finally arrested by police.

Residents had spotted the man coming out of a house in Woodhouse Road in Scottsville, carrying two black bags. One of the residents who apprehended the burglar said he was walking to a nearby shop when he spotted the man leaving one of the houses.

There had been a break-in just a street away last week, so the neighbours’ suspicions were raised when they spotted the unfamiliar man.

Two laptops had been stolen during the last break-in.

“He casually walked past me, and I thought that he looked suspicious. A few seconds later, one of the neighbours came out and shouted that the guy who had walked past me was a thief,” he said.

“I shouted for this man to stop but he showed me his knife and continued running,” said the resident.

The residents said they chased the man down Boshoff Street, and he dropped the bags and ran into a nearby bushy veld. When other residents heard the commotion, they came out in numbers to look for the suspect and managed to catch him and alert the police. While waiting for police to arrive, the burglar attempted to flee again, and this time, he was hit by a car. “We are tired of these thieves,” said another resident.

“We work so hard and they just walk into our homes and steal our belongings. As far as I’m concerned, the medics should not have helped him, he should be sent to jail with his injuries so he can learn his lesson,” said the resident.

Another resident said buglaries and theft in the area had become problematic. “You can’t walk on the street carrying your phone because you become a target.”

When The Witness arrived at the scene, the injured man was receiving medical treatment and was taken to hospital where he was admitted under police guard.

The objects stolen from the house, including a laptop and a hair dryer, were recovered.