The Townsend Complex in Bedfordview was the target of two house burglaries by two armed men on May 22.
The Bedfordview SAPS confirmed that both incidents occurred on the same day.
“Two units in the Townsend complex were the focus of burglaries, which we suspect were opportunistic crimes,” said the Bedfordview SAPS communications officer, Sergeant Mduduzi Nhlabathi.
“We suspect the crimes were opportunistic because the gates of the burgled homes were not closed,” said Sgt Nhlabathi.
The first burglary took place at 11.40am.
“In the first burglary, the on-duty domestic worker looked outside and saw the employee who was painting the house being strong-armed by a man with a firearm. The domestic worker also noticed a vehicle reversing onto the premises,” said Sgt Nhlabathi.
“The second suspect exited the vehicle and entered the home, where he found the domestic worker. The man, armed with a firearm, told the domestic worker to do as instructed,” he added.
The suspect wanted to know where jewellery and other valuables were placed in the home. Before robbing the house, the suspects tied up the painter and locked both the painter and the domestic worker in a room.
The men fled to the next unit with jewellery, watches, a radio, cash and a firearm.
The second burglary took place at 12.10pm.
“When the two suspects arrived at the next unit, they knocked on the door, asking the resident to provide them with some water to drink. The resident, a woman, told the suspects there was a tap outside where they could get water,” said Sgt Nhlabathi.
The two suspects then broke the door open. The victim fled to the bedroom and locked herself inside, where she phoned her husband. The two suspects managed to force their way into the bedroom and demanded the location of the safe.
“The woman showed the two men where the safe was and they stole the items inside the safe. Jewellery, a watch, a wallet and cash were stolen,” said Sgt Nhlabathi.
No shots were fired and no injuries were sustained during the two house burglaries, but investigations are still continuing.
Tips to prevent burglaries:
- Ensure gates are always closed.
- Service providers should be verified at all times.
- If an incident has taken place, contact the police first. This will assist with gathering evidence.
- Residents should advise domestic workers to not open up for strangers. If needs be, they should verify the identity of the people with the property owners.
- All documentation, such as copies of Identity Documents of employees, should be kept. This includes domestic and garden workers.
- When selling your home, ensure all viewings are strictly supervised by an estate agent.
- Ensure all unused tools such as spades, ladders and forks are put away after use. These tools can act as instruments in burglaries.
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