Woman killed in armed robbery
An innocent woman died after being attacked and shot at during an armed robbery at a fuel station in Centurion. She was the mother of five children.
A mother of five was shot in cold blood at a fuel station in Gateway near the Old Johannesburg Road when an armed robbery was in progress on Saturday night.
Forty-four-year-old Adelé Sutton from Midstream lost her life when a robber fired at her. The bullet entered her liver.
According to Sutton’s sister, Drienie Erasmus, Sutton and her friend stopped at the ATM at the fuel station near Stones while criminals were robbing the business. When she climbed back into the passenger’s side, one of the robbers came from the store, opened her door and tried to grab her belongings. A second suspect walked to the front of the vehicle and shot at the women.
The first suspect continued to struggle with Sutton, and fled with some of her belongings. By the time Sutton arrived at a clinic, she was declared dead. According to Erasmus, the medical report stated that she had died as a result of internal bleeding.
According to Pierre Viviers, chairperson of the Sector 2 Wierdabrug Community Policing Forum (CPF), camera footage showed that three suspects had entered the store and one was in possession of a firearm. Viviers suspected that it might have been a revolver.
The suspects, who left the shop to rob Sutton, returned to the store to continue with the robbery after shooting her. According to the camera footage, all three men walked out of the store 30 seconds later and drove off in their vehicle. The incident happened between 23:50 and 24:00.
According to a tweet from Crime Lookout, the suspects were in a Silver Audi A4 with the registration number WZG024GP.
Police spokesperson, Captain Agnus Huma, confirmed the incident and said that an investigation was underway. “No arrests have been made,” Huma said.
Erasmus spoke highly of Sutton, the second youngest of five children. “She was always on top of the world and led a happy and full life,” she said. Sutton had recently launched a new beauty product called Lashcoat, which included beauty products such as semi-permanent mascara. Before specialising in beauty products, Sutton designed a range of wedding gowns and other clothing along with being an interior designer.
“When Sutton started with something small, it was a guarantee that it would grow into a huge success,” Erasmus said proudly.
Sutton was also the mother of five children, the youngest being only six years old.
As a family, they were strong and supported each other, it has been said. “At this stage we want to bring honour to our sister’s life,” Erasmus added. “We are all thankful for having my sister in our lives. She taught us many life lessons and was an inspiration for us all,” she said. A cremation ceremony will be held on Friday in Potchefstroom.
