A suspected thief was allegedly beaten by a mob that caught him breaking into a house in Kathumbi village in Meru County, the assistant chief said.
When people questioned him over his theft bid, the suspect identified himself as Dennis Mugendu, a resident of Mwiteria in Imenti North Sub County, he said, adding that he stole with an accomplice known as Fadhi Kamonda.
According to the suspect, the incident took place around 12 pm when he and Fadhi tried to stealthily enter a house in Kathumbi village.
However, Mugendi was caught by the mob and brutally thrashed on suspicion of theft, while his accomplice managed to escape, the chief said.
In a video that surfaced online, he was seen injured and lying on the ground.
Kathumbi Assitant Chief Mutuma Joseph said when he reached the spot, he found Mugendi lying in a drain.
“Houses are being broken into at an alarming rate. Thieves break in when they notice there is no one in the house.,” said assistant chief Mutuma Joseph.
Mugendi claimed that they broke into the house with his accomplice and stole a television, radio, gas cylinder, and a carpet.
“I live in a rented house in Mwiteria owned by a landlord named John Gatobu. We’ve broken into two houses in the Kathumbi neighborhood since we started the heist, and it always happens in the middle of the day,” said Mugendi.
Mugendi said Fadhi’s shoes were left behind during their recent attempted robbery.
“We transported the items on a rented motorcycle and hid them in a hotel owned by Fadhi’s mother while they await potential buyers. The hotel is located in Majengo near a lorry carwash. Fadhi lives in Majengo in a rented house “Mugendi said.
Douglas Kirimi, the owner of the house, said that when he returned home that morning, he discovered that his home had been broken into.
“They took a gas cylinder, a radio, a television, shoes, and clothing.’ “I went to the police station and filed a report,” Kirimi said.
An eyewitness said one of the burglars managed to flee to Mugaine village while another fled to the chief’s camp and sought refuge at the Ntakira police station.
“While I was tending to my coffee farm, I heard my neighbor screaming. When I went to see what was going on, he told me that thieves had broken into his house. They’d already smashed a window and were about to break down the door. One of them, who never made it out, went and hid inside an elderly woman’s poultry house, said an eyewitness.
The chief said that he intends to notify the police so that they can go to the alleged location where the items are stored and recover them.
