Elderly woman robbed at gunpoint in Lynnwood Manor
An Elderly woman was robbed by three armed men at midday at her home in Lynburn Road.
“The first thing I did was go down on my knees and thank God for sparing me.”
These are the words of Irma Peter (67), who was robbed at gunpoint by three men in her home in Lynburn Road in Lynnwood Manor on Wednesday afternoon.
According to her husband, Gerhard Peter (74), he had been out buying groceries when the incident occurred. “I was at Pick n Pay when this horrible thing happened. The criminals must have seen me leave at 12:00 and thought it would be an ideal time to strike.”
The Peters are currently having building renovations done at their home, and the three thieves attacked and robbed four builders outside their home as well.
“The three men entered our home and found my wife in the bedroom where she was making the bed. They immediately pointed a pistol at her head and threatened to kill her if she did not co-operate,” said Gerhard.
The three thugs then set about ransacking the house in search of money. “It looks as if a hurricane hit our house,” added Gerhard.
The men still had Irma hostage, but as one of them turned his back, she snuck out of a back door and ran to her neighbours for help. The neighbours phoned the police, and informed Gerhard of what had happened.
The robbers fled with a TV, three laptops and various other electronics.
“Garsfontein police responded very quickly, and we have since opened a case of house robbery with them,” said Gerhard.
He added: “We are so thankful that Irma was not hurt. These things can turn out so much worse.”
Garsfontein police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said that they are on the hunt for the men that robbed the house.
“No arrests were made and anyone who has information that can assist the police with their investigation can contact the Crime Stop number at 08600-10111 or the Garsfontein police at 012-369-6900.
She added that the SAPS offers the following safety advice against house robberies:
- Keep doors, security gates and outside gates locked at all times.
- Take note of vehicles and people that look suspicious and out of place and report it to the police. The police welcomes such reports as it can assist them in preventing crime.
- Robbers often find the domestic worker alone inside the house. Therefore employers must also advise them on safety.
- When domestic workers and gardeners arrive at work, they must check that there are no strange people or vehicles hanging around near the house, if there are, they must rather keep on walking to prevent an ambush as the gate open.
- Not to open the door or to allow anybody onto the property unless the employer have told them that they are expecting someone. When in doubt, they must first phone the employer to confirm.
- Not to talk about their employer’s property and new purchases with friends and strangers. They can never be sure when a potential criminal overhear this information.
- Domestic workers must also refrain from working with earphones or loud music so that they can hear and act on any strange sounds.
- Residents can contact their local police stations for safety workshops for domestic workers and gardeners in a specific suburb.
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