A WOMAN fell victim to a smash-and-grab at the traffic lights in La Lucia Ridge coming off the M41 on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred at about 7pm and is the second in the space of a week.
What’s more, police now believe the smash-and-grab thieves have moved from the M41/N2 interchange, where there had been 20 incidents reported last year, and were now targeting motorists at the La Lucia Ridge intersection.
“The woman’s handbag was on the front passenger seat. As she pulled up to the traffic lights, she noticed a man in dark clothing. He ran at her window and smashed it using his elbow. He grabbed her handbag, which contained her purse, cell phone, bank cards and other items.
“In all, R15 000 worth of items were taken. Due to the N2/M41 getting busier, in terms of construction and workers, and an increase in patrols, the smash-and-grab thieves have moved from there to the intersection near La Lucia Ridge. We want to prevent this from being a hotspot,” he said.
The video below shows how quickly a smash-and-grab can occur.
Deokaran added that statistically, the thieves target mainly female motorists.
“We are again appealing to motorists not to leave goods lying on the seats of their cars and to be extremely vigilant when driving through the area. Car floors and seats are not good places to leave items,” he warned.
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