Bedfordview house robber caught
“The CPF and RAG were incredible, they made sure someone stayed with me the entire time while they were looking for the suspects. I take my hat off to them,” said Rahme.
Bedfordview’s Resident Action Group (RAG) reaction officer Wiseman Bvuma was acknowledged following the arrest of a house robbery suspect.
RAG received a panic button alert on August 2 for a house robbery in Florence Avenue, Bedfordview.
Two men had entered the premises, filled a bag with valuables and also stabbed the property owner in the hand before they fled.
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Wiseman received the panic alert and immediately responded.
At the house, he searched the bedrooms and garage. He said when he walked out of the house to continue his search, he saw the suspects jump the wall.
One jumped into a church property on Van Buuren Road.
Wiseman fired two warning shots and on the second shot, the one suspect dropped the bag with the stolen items.
The second suspect then jumped over the wall into a nearby crèche.
As Wiseman entered the crèche he asked staff to move the children to safety and called the Bedfordview Community Policing Forum (BCPF) and SAPS.
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The area was blocked off by the BCPF, patrollers and residential bodyguards.
The suspect was not found on the crèche premises.
Bedfordview resident Claire Rahme was in her kitchen when she heard the gunshots.
She checked her community emergency group on her phone for any details and then saw a man in her kitchen doorway.
She said the man shoved her around and asked her for jewellery, money and her car keys.
He told her to move to the garage, get into her vehicle and he attempted to start her car.
“My only thing to do was to jump out and run and scream,” said Rahme.
She noticed the suspect ran back towards her home and believes he jumped over her wall.
She saw the CPF and RAG were patrolling in her street and alerted them.
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“The CPF and RAG were incredible. They made sure someone stayed with me the entire time while they were looking for the suspects. I take my hat off to them,” said Rahme.
The suspect was later found hiding in a nearby complex in the surrounding area.
The BCPF, RAG, SAPS and patrollers continued to search for the second suspect the entire day.
“It just shows that through perseverance and by working together, a community can succeed,” said Leon Bridges, member of BCPF.
Wiseman received a certificate of acknowledgement for bravery from RAG on August 14.
“Their commitment to the protection of the community should be respected and celebrated,” said Ward 20 Clr Jill Humphreys.
Bedfordview SAPS spokesperson Capt André de Jager confirmed the incident and arrest.
