Australian journalist robbed live on air while reporting on crimes at malls

An Australian TV reporter and his crew were robbed while they were live on air talking about rising incidents of crime at shopping centres in the city of Adelaide. On Saturday, the South Australia Police announced that a 49-year-old man was arrested and charged for the theft.

The incident took place last week when Hayden Nelson, the journalist associated with Australia's Channel 7 news network, was reporting live from outside the Rundle Mall in the city.

As filming for Nelson's segment was underway, a passer-by greeted the journalist and his cameraman and quietly walked away with some filming equipment. Nelson and his crew did not notice the theft, and realised only after the man left the area.

When he re-appeared on the live show, he held up a light stand to show that a bulb was missing and also went on to narrate what had happened.

"To give you an idea of just how brazen some of the crime is, this morning after our last live cross, someone came and took the light off our light stand. We have about three lights here and they’ve just pulled it blatantly off and walked away with it," he said.

"So, any need for security and calls for police were certainly made clear for us this morning."

Announcing the arrest of the suspect, South Australia Police said personnel located the man on Friday and took him in for questioning.

"He was refused bail and will appear at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The camera light and battery has not been located," the police added.