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Burglary drops six metres to make escape

Surprisingly, the robber had removed her identity book and driver's license and left them on the table.

A Toti couple is baffled how an intruder managed to make good his escape after breaking into their Fynn Road residence in the early hours of Saturday morning, 21 March.

George Schultz and Michelle Booysen said they were awoken by a noise in their bathroom at about 4am.

“When I opened our bedroom door, I saw a guy with a knife and he motioned to me to keep quiet,” said George, who immediately closed the door to search for a weapon with which to confront the robber.

While Michelle screamed for help and their neighbour called the Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO), George tussled with the robber, who was trying to gain access to their third-floor bedroom.

Failing, he then confronted Michelle’s teenager daughter and her friend in her bedroom, one floor down, demanding cellphones and money, while holding the knife to their throats, before he fled through the second-storey bathroom window.

“He was gone by the time I came out of the bedroom,” said George. “It was so quick. I don’t know how he jumped out of a second-storey window. It must be six metres to the ground.”

Besides escaping with the daughter’s tablet, the couple found Michelle’s handbag, cellphone and watch missing from the lounge, but surprisingly, the robber had removed her identity book and driver’s license and left them on the table.

“According to the police, he must have had an accomplice waiting outside,” said George.

“They first tried to fish stuff through the first-floor window with our swimming pool pole, before he climbed up the wall and through the bedroom window.”

According to George, the robbers either gained entry to the complex by climbing a fence to get over their high boundary wall or via the adjacent complex, which is under construction.

The couple were full of praise for the CCPO, who responded “within two or three minutes”.

Thank you to the CCPO, who not only responded with three vehicles quickly, but stayed with us until the police arrived more than an hour later,” said Michelle.

“The police didn’t show us any compassion and didn’t even offer us counselling. We had to get our own counsellor and we thank Des for her help.

They also initially opened a case of house-breaking instead of armed robbery.”

Toti SAPS communication officer, Captain Charlene Van Der Spuy said the offence registered was housebreaking and theft, not house robbery.

“The complainant was woken by a loud sound in his house at about 4.10am. When he went to look around, he noticed an unknown male inside the house. The suspect fled on foot when he saw the complainant.”

If a complainant feels they need counselling Amanzimtoti Trauma Unit manager, Gail Schreiner said they prefer to work in partnership with Toti SAPS. “A complainant should request counselling through SAPS and they will refer them to us and we have professional counsellors on hand to attend within 24 hours.”

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