Burgersfort resident stares death in the face

BURGERSFORT – Mr Lionel Aguiar, a respected businessman and property owner in town, was severely assaulted, strangled and held at gunpoint by four men wearing balaclavas on Monday. This after they attempted to break into his residence in Marone Street.

At about 20:14 four suspects approached Aguiar’s front door pretending to be tenants. When he opened the door, he looked into the barrel of a firearm pointed at him by one of the robbers.

The man threatened that they would shoot Aguiar if he refused them access to the house. The other three beat him on the head with a blunt object and strangled him with a piece of rope.

Tenants living next door heard the commotion and contacted National Guarding Security Services. By 20:20 a security officer arrived at the scene, startling the four criminals, who then fled on foot.

Aguiar pressed his panic button and another security vehicle arrived and was joined by community members who assisted in the search of the suspects who had fled to Church Street and disappeared.

Everyone drove around in their vehicles to find them, but all attempts failed.

The police were also on the scene and a case was opened.

Aguiar was taken to the clinic to treat his wounds. He sustained a head injury and bruises to his neck when the culprits tried to strangle him with the rope.

He told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that he was very lucky to be alive, all due to the quick response of the security company.

He has requested the municipality to cut the bush next to his property after it was discovered that the culprits had cut his fence and gained access from the veld.