ESCAPING DEATH: 61-year old is fighting for her life in ICU
The man found drunk on the premises
JENNIFER van Tonder, a 61-year-old resident of South Crest, suffered severe burns and is fighting for her life after the live-in gardener on the property poured petrol into her vehicle and set it alight.
The victim managed to get out of the burning car and was left to die in the driveway, where the neighbour found her. She was admitted to Baragwanath Hospital and is still in ICU in a critical condition. Jennifer’s eyes were badly burnt, since she was wearing contact lenses and she also suffered severe burns to her back.
It would seem that the suspect acted out of revenge after he was requested to vacate the premises. Milly Clark, the owner and landlady of the property, asked the gardener to please vacate the premises since his actions became a cause for concern.
“A year and a half ago, a gardener asked if he could stay on my premises, as he had nowhere to go. Although I had said it was temporary, he landed up staying on and never found an alternative place.”
Prior to Milly asking the suspect to vacate the premises, Jennifer expressed her concern and told her of an incident where he swore at her on Tuesday, July 15. On Saturday July 19 Milly approached him and said to him that he should please leave the premises. He responded by saying she should give him three days grace in order to look for another place.
“I spoke to him again on Tuesday July 22 when I found him drunk on the premises. I again asked him to leave, which he refused and he left on the Wednesday morning. He must have come back on Wednesday evening, and I believe he gained access to the property by jumping over the wall.”
An unsuspected Jennifer made her way to the garage as she would every morning to leave for work. He must have then gone into the garage. Uncertain of what he was getting up to or what he was doing, Jennifer got into her car at about 06:50 on Thursday morning July 24 to go to work. The man approached her with the petrol in hand and said it was her fault that this was happening to him. It was then that he poured the petrol into the car and set it alight.
Milly was at work during that time and received calls from a neighbour, explaining that Jennifer was found in the driveway, that she had been burnt, and they had taken her to a nearby hospital.
When Milly came back to her property, she found an empty white bucket along with Jennifer’s jacket, but the rest of the scene had been cleared.
During Thursday evening, Milly said that the suspect had been calling her constantly, threatening her by saying that if she didn’t give him R1 500 he would do the same to her and her car.
STILL AT LARGE: The suspect has still not been found. Residents are asked to be on the lookout for the man, who frequently visited the South Crest Roadhouse across the street from the Spar. He was often found at the Roadhouse, being drunk and causing a disturbance. He is described as a black man aged 53, with a dark complexion, short and thin of build with short dreadlocks. If you notice this man, please do not approach him as he is dangerous. Please contact the police station on 011 861 7800 or Lt. Col. Maswanganyi on 082 461 3495.
