A 36-year-old alleged pastor, wanted in connection with the murder of a four-month-old baby and the rape of her 43-year-old mother, has been arrested in Diepsloot.

According to police, the suspect was apprehended on October 10 following an intensive investigation involving detectives and Crime Intelligence.

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“He was found hiding in a backroom in Diepsloot informal settlement, with injuries,” police confirmed. His arrest brings the total number of suspects in the case to three, including his two wives, who appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrates’ Court on October 9. The pastor is expected to appear in court on October 12.

The case stems from an incident on October 7, when the woman allegedly accompanied her pastor and one of his wives to the Hennops River near the R511 for a ritual.

Preliminary police information indicates that the pastor’s wife stayed behind with the baby while the pastor and the woman proceeded towards the river. The woman was allegedly raped and tied up.

“She managed to free herself and sought assistance at a nearby construction site. A private security company was activated, and police were alerted,” the statement read.

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A multidisciplinary team comprising Crime Scene Management, Search and Rescue, General Detectives, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, as well as drone operators, was deployed to search for the missing infant and locate the pastor and his wife.

The pastor’s 24-year-old wife was later found and questioned. She led investigators to a shallow grave where the baby’s body was discovered.

Police have opened cases of kidnapping, rape, and murder.

The investigation is ongoing.

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