INLSA
Jenny Cullinan, right, with her neighbour Jennifer Scheepers and Cullinans two Staffordshire terriers and dachshund. Alerted to a burglary at her home by Scheepers, who in turn was alerted by the dogs, Cullinan chased after burglars on Saturday and recovered her stolen laptop. PICTURE : TERRY HAYWOOD
Gugu Mbonambi
A 42-year-old Durban woman thwarted a robbery at her home in Manor Gardens, then chased one of the burglars in pouring rain and recovered some of her items.
Endurance athlete Jenny Cullinan said she was a few blocks away from her house, having lunch with her family on Saturday, when her neighbour, Jennifer Scheepers, called to tell her that her dogs were barking hysterically.
“Jennifer called to ask me if I was at home, because she could hear weird banging noises and my little dog barking. I quickly rushed home and found Jennifer’s husband was already on my property,” she said.
Cullinan, who owns two Staffordshire terriers and a dachshund, said as she climbed up the stairs to her property, two men jumped out of her window, with one of the burglars jumping over her head.
“I told myself that I would not let them go. I may be 42, but I am fit, so I kicked my shoes off and ran after the one burglar barefoot for about one kilometre. As I was running, I was screaming ‘help me’, but it was pouring with rain so I was not sure if anybody would come out,” she said.
Cullinan, who is preparing to paddle solo around Madagascar in 2013 to raise awareness of marine conservation, said she would have chased the burglar for 30km “without a problem”.
“I caught up with one of the burglars where he was hiding in the grass near the University of KwaZulu-Natal,” she said.
“When he saw me, he got up and pointed to where my bag was, and my laptop was inside the bag,” she said.
She said about 15 vehicles came to her assistance, including four police patrol cars, but the burglar climbed over the Manor Gardens Primary School fence and fled.
“It was incredibly heart-warming to see everyone come out with their sticks to help me. The other burglar took some of my clothes and my GPS which I use for training.
“They ransacked my house, but I will not be intimidated or be a victim in my home; I will take them on any day,” Cullinan said.
