EVANDER – A team of detectives from Evander Police Station, with the help of the public, caught an alleged rapist on Wednesday, 12 June.
The man driving a red double cab bakkie allegedly targeted women hiking from Evander to eMbalenhle.
The first victim was hiking near the Evander taxi rank at about 6.30pm on Monday, 3 June.
A man in a red double cab offered her a lift to eMbalenhle, but then turned off on the Adullam Road towards Brendan Village.
When the woman questioned this route to eMbalenhle, the man assured her that he was just going to pick up a friend at the Bracken Mine.
She was told to shut up when she noticed that they had driven past the intersection and questioned it.
He drove into the forest next to Brendan Village where he forced the woman to undress before allegedly raping her.
He threatened to kill her if she did anything “stupid”.
The suspect afterwards took the victim to eMbalenhle and ordered her not to look at his vehicle.
She went to the eMbalenhle Police Station to report the incident.
The Sotho-speaking suspect was back at the same spot the next day, Tuesday, 4 June, where he picked up another hitchhiker.
This woman fought him when he did not proceed to eMbalenhle, but turned off on the Brendan Village Road.
She tried to grab the steering wheel of the bakkie, but he retaliated by beating her on the head with a hammer.
He took her to the same spot in the woods where he forced her to undress and then he allegedly raped her twice.
Afterwards he dropped her off in eMbalenhle. She reported the incident to the Evander Police.
The police asked on social media for anyone with information about the man in the red double cab.
The community responded swiftly and the suspect was arrested.
He appeared in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 13 June.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/139849/kinross-police-warn-motorists-not-stop-pick-hikers-r29-another-hijacking/
