Two suspects, who were arrested following a shootout with the police in the early hours of 4 August in Alex, have been linked to more house robberies.
A third suspect, believed to have been a foreign national, was fatally shot in the shootout that ensued, following a distress call at about 3am to police from occupants of a house on the corner of Vincent Tshabalala Road and 8th Avenue that was being targeted.
No police officers were wounded in the shootout. Alex police spokesperson Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela said the two wounded suspects, who were taken to hospital for treatment under police guard, have been positively linked to two cases of house robbery in Alex.
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Maphakela said the men appeared in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on 11 August and were remanded in custody; they will appear again on 19 August for bail hearings. The accused will now face five charges, which include two house robberies, attempted robbery, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
When the police arrived on the scene following the distress call, the alleged robbers opened fire on them. Two firearms, a 7.65mm and a 9mm pistol with their serial numbers filed off, were recovered on the scene, along with eight rounds of ammunition.
Maphakela said an inquest would be conducted to determine the cause of death and police responsibility.
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