A woman was killed in her house in Eastvale on Friday, when five armed robbers gained entry to the house.
Captain Johannes Ramphora, Springs police spokesman, said a window was open and it is believed the robbers forced open the burglar bars to gain entry to the house.
Tulsa Opperman (57), was in the main bedroom with her fiancé Braam Koekemoer and two of their grandchildren.
Koekemoer’s 84-year-old mother and a third child were also in the house. Two of the five men were armed with firearms and the other three were armed with knives.
Koekemoer said they were awake when he heard a noise.
“I thought it might be my 84-year-old mother falling in the bathroom and went to investigate,” says Koekemoer.
As he was about to leave the room he saw three men entering their bedroom.
He said he immediately told the intruders to “take what they want”.
Their grandchildren, aged two and seven months, were in the room with them.
Ramphora said Opperman was stabbed in his face, but it is only a flesh wound.
The other two robbers entered the room with Koekemoer’s son and ordered him to sit on the bed.
While Koekemoer was struggling to protect himself from another stab wound, one of the other robbers, armed with a firearm, fired a shot.
He said he could feel the bullet passing his head and when he turned around he saw Opperman falling onto the bed.
The robbers ordered Koekemoer to open the sliding door in the bedroom and left the scene.
“I said to ‘Dingetjie (Tilsa), who was still alive at the time, to hang in there and I will get help,” he said.
“However, she closed her eyes and I knew she was no longer with us.”
His mother was found in her bed with a blanket still covering her face.
Ramphora said Koekemoer’s mother and the three children were unharmed.
According Ramphora the robbers looted the house, taking cash and cellphones.
One of the suspects allegedly previously worked as the family’s gardener.
Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene.
Opperman later sought medical care for his stab wound which did not require a hospital stay.
All five suspects are still at large and the police are investigating charges of murder and robbery.
Anyone with information can contact the Springs police on 011 365 5700/19.
