Attempted hijacking with toy gun
Clr Carlos da Rocha has raised concerns again about the crime rate in ward 66, following an attempted hijacking incident on July 24.
He said he was driving towards Kensington in the evening when the incident happened.
“I was on my way to pick up my children from work. I stopped at the North Avenue and 5th Street intersection in Bez Valley. I saw a man at my window. I did not see him coming. I looked at the passenger side because something did not seem right. There was another man on that side. Then I saw the third man,” said Clr Da Rocha.
He looked at his window again and the man standing there had a firearm pointed at him. “I drew my firearm and opened the window. I fired a shot at the ground and the men ran away. I chased after them,” he said.
Clr Da Rocha said Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers in the area saw the commotion and had their guns drawn as well. They and Clr Da Rocha tried to search for the men but they had escaped.
“Jeppe SAPS police officers in the area were also quick to respond. The suspects fled, leaving behind their caps and jerseys. They also left behind the firearm they were using,” he said.
He said the firearm was inspected and it was established it was a toy gun.
“It looked so real but it was a toy. It was silly of me to use my firearm. I reacted immediately. I stared death in the face and I am lucky that this time it was a toy gun. If that was a real firearm, however, I do not know what would have happened. Maybe the suspects would have shot me,” he said.
He thanked the JMPD and Jeppe SAPS reservists who were quick to respond to the incident. He said the JMPD officers reacted immediately after hearing gunshots close by. Clr Da Rocha added that the two officers from the reservist unit and detectives were accommodating and professional.
“It is a shame that no arrests were made, but I cannot attribute that to the way the officers reacted. I am, however, concerned about the alarming rate of crime in what used to be a fairly quiet neighbourhood,” he said.
According to Clr Da Rocha, there are hijackings in his ward on a regular basis.
“I was informed recently of a hijacking about 100 meters away from my house in Judith’s Paarl. A man was apparently shot dead. These crimes are unacceptable. There have also been numerous burglaries at homes. Why has crime increased and why have Bez Valley, Bertrams and Judith’s Paarl become violent crime hot spots in the past couple of months? Why is there no police visibility, no stop-and-search operations and what is being done with regards to people loitering? I seldom see SAPS vehicles in the area,” said Clr Da Rocha.
Earlier this year, the EXPRESS published an article in which Clr Da Rocha said he was informed by residents that that there have been a number of burglaries at residential properties in areas such as Bez Valley. At the time, he said he reported his concerns to the Jeppe SAPS management. Last week he said he was still awaiting feedback.
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