Mother and son held at gunpoint in Sheffield

A mother and her 11-year-old-son were left traumatised on Saturday, October 3, after they were held at gunpoint and tied up in their own home in Sheffield.

At around 12.30pm, three men climbed over the wall of the property and entered the house with their guns drawn.

The men tied up the woman and young boy, leaving them locked in the house’s upstairs bathroom before ransacking the house.

According to JP Viljoen of Viva Security, the men attempted to steal the old Land Rover Defender parked in the driveway, but could not get the vehicle to start.

“One of the men placed a call to be picked up and fled in their getaway car,” said Viljoen.

After about 10 to 15 minutes, the woman managed to free her hands and untied her son before they climbed through the window to escape and ran to their neighbours for help.

An extensive search of the property by Viva, G4 Security and Umhlali police they came up empty-handed, but a case has been opened with police, who are now investigating the crime.

Neither the woman or her son were seriously injured, but trauma counsellors were organised to help them deal with their terrifying experience.

“When we arrived, both the mother and her son were visibly shaken by what had happened and the poor boy broke down when I hugged him,” said Viljoen, who urges all people to exercise caution and vigilance at all times, keeping doors locked and gates secured.

The house was turned completely upside-down, with the total number of stolen items and their combined value still unknown.

Umhlali police officer, Sgt. Zungu, who is leading the investigation, said the forensics unit lifted fingerprints from the house, but no further evidence has yet been found.