Video footage helped police investigators track and arrest the three suspects, all of them 22 years old, who robbed the cyclist of his mountain bike and cellular telephone, police said today.
The suspects face a robbery charge and will remain in custody until a court hearing later this month, police Lt Col Andre Traut said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
The robbery occurred Saturday near the town of Somerset West, not far from Cape Town and South Africa's wine lands. The cyclist, identified in local media as Malcolm Fox, was travelling alone with his camera recording when he was accosted after crossing railway tracks.
At one point, the gunman appears to peer briefly into the camera lens, but makes no move to take the helmet.
Fox, the cyclist, shared the video with police, and it has also been posted on YouTube. Police said the stolen mountain bike and cellular telephone were recovered.
