A Morningside resident was lucky to escape serious injury after a gang of armed robbers attacked him in his home last week, according to Blue Security.
Blue Security managing director, Darryn le Grange said the resident was at home with his family at about 8.30pm last Wednesday evening when the gang jumped over the wall and entered the home through the front door.
“According to the neighbour’s CCTV camera, the gang of five men had arrived in a silver Hyundai Sonata with no registration plates,” Le Grange said. “One gang member jumped over the wall and entered the house while the rest of the gang followed before they held up the family. The gang then assaulted the resident and his son before ransacking the premises,” he said. The gang fled with a television, house keys and the resident’s car, he said.
“The victim declined medical care and reported the incident to the Berea SAPS who attended the scene,” he said.
Le Grange urged residents to be vigilant and keep doors and at least security gates locked when at home, especially with the warmer summer months approaching. “It may be tempting to leave doors open thinking you can quickly jump up and close it should any intruders be seen but what people forget is that criminals rely heavily on the element of surprise when committing housebreakings and robberies,” Le Grange said.
“And when you are at home it is also important to activate your external alarm zones such as outdoor beams and gate sensors that will sound the alarm if there is an intruder or if the gate is forced open.”
Le Grange said an early warning system was the best defence against home invaders as this allowed residents to run and lock themselves in a safe room.
“A safe room can be a bathroom or a bedroom, but preferably not the main bedroom as robbers tend to target the main bedroom as a place where they hope to find valuables and have been known to attempt to break down the door of the main bedroom if it is locked,” he said.
He urged residents to keep a spare panic remote and charged cellphone with sufficient airtime in a sealed container in the bathroom in case of emergencies. “This will enable you to alert your security company to the emergency and to call the police or an ambulance for help if needed.”
In a separate incident Le Grange said community members had allegedly severely assaulted and arrested a trespasser who had allegedly damaged the gate motor of a business premises in Clark Road in Glenwood and entered the property. “The trespasser had allegedly also smashed the window of a car parked on the property but nothing was reported stolen,” he said. He said Umbilo SAPS had attended the scene.
Additional housebreaking incidents were reported in Nunhead Road in Manor Gardens where criminals entered the property through the roof and stole a television, and a business housebreaking in Moore Road in Glenwood where criminals derailed the driveway gates, forced open the doors and fled with computers.
