House burglaries concern resident
“The crime occurred at approximately 1pm while my mother, Mrs Andria Constantinou, was home alone. Two armed men forced their way through the side gate of the premises by breaking the lock and chain.
Bedfordview resident Ms Melany Constantinou has expressed her concerns that Patdenorow Place in Bedfordview has become a target for burglaries by a group of unknown men, following a burglary at her home on December 7.
“The crime occurred at approximately 1pm while my mother, Mrs Andria Constantinou, was home alone. Two armed men forced their way through the side gate of the premises by breaking the lock and chain.
“The external security beams, which were turned on when I left, were triggered by their presence. However, this did not deter the criminals as they proceeded to break through the security gate at the front door. The gate was also locked and latched with a chain,” said Melany.“They then broke through the front door and entered the house. My mother, who had heard the disturbance, activated the panic button. The suspects forced my mother to lie on the floor in the passage. While the alarm was ringing, they proceeded to take two television sets and ransacked the main bedroom in search of cash, cellular phones and laptops,” said Melany.
“This burglary is the third in just two years since I have been living here. My new neighbour has just moved into the area and is concerned because the previous tenant had been burgled more than three times prior to selling the property. Furthermore, the majority of residents in the area have been burgled more than once in the last two years alone,” said Melany said.
“We are beginning to suspect that the same individuals may be involved, a group of at least three or four people who present themselves as well-dressed and professional individuals. These crimes have caused a number of houses in the street to be sold within the last year. Only one house was successfully sold in December 2012, which was our neighbour,” said Melany.
“The residents in the street are under constant threat by the people responsible and this is the primary reason I am voicing my concerns. The criminals continue their business at any hour, day or night, and regardless of whether people are present or not.
“In some instances, victims have been brutally attacked and hurt. I would like to inform the public of the concerns we have and perhaps this may be of benefit to others as a result,” said Melany
This is one of several burglary cases in 2013 that sparked the Residential Action Group (RAG) security meeting which took place at the Belgravia Bowling Club on October 24. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the high levels of crime, trends in the area and ways to get the community involved in the RAG area, including those in the greater Bedfordview area, after the region suffered burglaries or armed robberies. The Bedfordview SAPS pleaded with community members to know their sector numbers for the police to be able to dispatch officers quickly to a crime.
The Bedfordview SAPS can be contacted on sector one, 071 657 6885/ 6886. Sector two on 071 675 6886/ 6888. Sector three on 071 675 6889/ 6890.
