WATCH: Man uses inappropriate hug to pickpocket woman
Protecting your personal space is a right that no one should easily take away from you.
We live in a scary world, filled with people who wear masks daily.
Some put on a friendly face and trick the most unsuspecting people. Recently, CCTV footage released from a fast food outlet in Hatfield, Pretoria, showed how a man used inappropriate physical contact to steal a woman's phone.
The video highlights how quickly innocent people can be swindled by criminals daily. It's not always the elaborate schemes that catch victims off guard, but the small illicit acts that leave people holding their heads in anguish.
In the video, a young woman appears to be placing an order at the fast-food outlet's digital kiosk.
The man stands close by, waiting behind her as if he's also about to place an order. The woman appears uncomfortable as the man kept moving closer to her. At one point, she is seen shaking her head as if to say no.
The man persists and is bold enough to invade her personal space. It is at this point that he throws his arm around her in what appears to be a non-consensual hug. He then sneakily uses his other hand to reach into her bag and takes her phone. When he releases her from the hug, he casually slides the phone into his pocket before leaving the shop.
We recently came across a crime that saw criminals targeting elderly women in the North of KZN. It was alleged that the criminals were using a spray that leaves victims losing their sense of awareness. Once the victims returned to consciousness, they were left without their belongings, proving just how brazen criminals have become in targeting their victims.
People questioned why the young lady in the video didn't stop the man from hugging her. Meanwhile, some suspected that this same kind of spray was used to subdue her.
Watch the video below from X.
INCIDENT CAUGHT ON CCTV IN HATFIELD PRETORIA
— CrimeInSA (@sa_crime) May 14, 2025
Please assist us in identifying the suspect seen on the video stealing a cellphone. pic.twitter.com/8ILb2i3vgo
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Image Courtesy of X