The two men suspected of being involved in a foiled housebreaking and robbery attempt in a complex in Beverley have been arrested.
According to Shelly Miller, marketing and communications from the Lonehill Residents Association (LRA), two suspects allegedly gained entry into the complex and were spotted while in a garden by a domestic employee on September 9. It is still unclear how they gained entry to the premises.
She said the suspects allegedly threatened the domestic employee who quickly closed the door. The suspects then allegedly told the employee that they did not want to break in but that they had escaped from prison and only wanted money and a cellphone.
Miller explained that the homeowner had managed to lock herself inside the bathroom and phoned her husband and the security company to seek help. When the complex security officer arrived at the scene, the suspects allegedly threatened to harm the homeowner’s baby. When the officer called for backup, the suspects allegedly fled the scene with the baby to a nearby Jukskei river. The local private security company swiftly alerted Douglasdale and Diepsloot police stations, the residents association and Fourways Joint Centre.
While searching for the suspects at the river, residents received information that the two suspects allegedly hijacked a vehicle in Helderfontein, Miller added. Local security companies, police and other respondents from the area searched for the suspects who were believed to be driving the hijacked vehicle. The vehicle was intercepted in Diepsloot, the suspects were arrested and the baby was recovered unharmed.
Chairperson of the Fourways Joint Centre, operating with Future City Fourways, Jean Berdou, said the recovery of the baby and the arrest of the suspects showed that when the community works together with the police and security companies, crime can be defeated.
“I would like to congratulate Fidelity Security and Lonehill Residents Association as well as the responders from Ifec nationwide, Midrand CPF, Diepsloot police, Douglasdale police, ER24, EmergMed, and many others whose joint effort resulted in the safe return of the young child to her parent,” Berdou said.
Miller added, “The LRA’s slogan ‘together we are stronger’ was more than evident today. The LRA security initiative is second to none and we maintain extremely healthy and cooperative relationships with police, the CPF, neighbouring security groups through the Joc WhatsApp groups and, of course, our own Lonehill community service provider, Fidelity Security Group who was directly instrumental in the success of today’s incident with the arrest of the suspects and the safe return of the baby.”
Johannesburg Metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar has not commented on the incident, he told the Fourways Review that he was still compiling a statement.
This is a developing story, more information will be provided as it becomes available.
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