Woman burnt for R30, dies from her wounds
A 38-year-old Winterveldt woman who sustained severe burns after being poured with petrol and set alight, has died.
A 38-year-old Winterveldt woman who sustained severe burns after petrol was poured over her and set alight, died on Tuesday morning.
Elsie Lapkin (38) and her two children Dina Lapkin (4) and Bathrai Lapkin (2) set alight on 2 September, by a man who had come to their house to collect R30 Elsie’s husband had owed to him.
The saddened husband, Samuel Moyana told Rekord on Tuesday morning, his wife Elsie, who had been in intensive care (ICU) for over two weeks, died in the earlier.
“The two children are still in a critical condition,” the distraught father said.
Moyana said he was aggrieved by the death of his wife.
“I am devastated. Words cannot express how I feel now. I cannot believe that R30 could get us this far,” he said.
The attacker, identified as “Jealous” has vanished without a trace.
“He gave me R900 and asked me to buy him a bicycle from Marabastad where I work. I brought him the bicycle and the slip. The bicycle cost R870, and his change was R30. He collected the bicycle and we agreed he should come back for the R30 change because I did not have it at the time,” explained Moyana.
The attacker allegedly got infuriated after Elsie told him on his third visit that her husband was not home and he should come back.
Police spokesperson, Constable Petunia Chabangu said: “When he returned he had a 5l bottle of petrol with him. He doused the woman and her two children with the petrol and set them alight.”
Neighbours were alerted by screams coming from the house and they went to help.
“They managed to put out the fires. Police and paramedics were called to the scene and the victims were rushed to hospital,” she said.
The victims were taken to the Dr George Mukhari hospital where they had been in intensive care since the gruesome incident.
Police said the suspect was on the run and they were looking for him.
“A charge of murder will be pressed on top of the three of attempted murder opened initially,” said Chabangu.
se/mk
Also read:
Woman and kids set alight over R30
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