A 20-year-old suspect has appeared in court following an armed robbery in the Umhlumayo area last month.
A 13-year-old boy and his elder sister were alone at home, sleeping in different rooms, when two men entered the house late at night. One of the intruders was armed with a firearm and the other with a knife. They threatened the youngster and stole a microwave oven, home theatre sound system and groceries.
A case was registered at Ezakheni police station and detectives began tracing the suspects, though their task was made more difficult because they did not have a proper description of the suspects.
However, in the early hours of Tuesday last week, valuable information filtered through to the Ezakheni Community Service Centre. Following up on the information, Visible Policing officers went to the Zwelisha area of Umhlumayo, where they were successful in arresting a suspect.
They also recovered a pistol with one live round of ammunition. It is suspected that the weapon was used during the robbery. Further investigations at the premises led them to another house in the area, where the stolen home theatre system was recovered.
The 20-year-old suspect has appeared in court and the case has been remanded. He remains in police custody. Investigations continue and the firearm will be sent for ballistic testing to ascertain if it has been used in any other crimes in the country.
