A man at Zambezi Shopping Centre, Kikuyu was on Tuesday rescued by police from an angry mob which was baying for his blood for allegedly snatching a lady’s handbag.
The suspect was saved from the mob by police from Kikuyu police station who were patrolling the area.
A witness, Diana Muchai said she saw the suspect snatch a woman’s handbag before running away with it.
The woman started screaming thereby alerting the public who ran after him to get back the handbag. She said they then cornered him as he tried to escape and started beating him up.
She said such cases at the shopping centre were on the increase.
Faith Njoki who owns a shop in the town echoed Diana’s sentiments and noted that they were affecting their businesses as people shun their shops for fear of being robbed.
Confirming the incident, Kikuyu OCPD Mutune Maweu said the suspect was arrested and is in police custody.
“We are working to ensure that such cases become a thing of the past,’’ Maweu assured residents.
He said the suspect is in police custody and will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete.
Meanwhile, the OCPD has urged those in charge of bus termini and markets to work with the police to curb crime.