Two suspects have been arrested following an house robbery in Beyers Park this morning (April 29).
This is after a normal morning turned into a nightmare for two Boksburg brothers.
Craig Manning, whose brother Denis is the owner of the house, said his brother received a call from his neighbours, letting him know there were men breaking into his house.
“When my brother and I arrived at the house we were stopped in the driveway by one of the suspect, who pointed a firearm at us. Another vehicle was also in the yard. The suspect said what are we doing there and he started shooting.
“My brother grabbed me and we ran and hid behind a wall a few houses from my brother’s house.”
Manning said the suspects continued to shoot at them until CMS security guards responded and a shoot-out ensued between the security guards and the suspects.
“The suspect who pointed a firearm at us released my brother’s vehicle’s handbrake and pushed it out of the way so they can flee with their vehicle, which was inside the yard.
“While he was still busy pushing the vehicle he was shot at, they abandoned the car and ran away.”
According to a resident, who wants to remain anonymous, while she was in her house with her friend she heard gunshots.
“We then heard someone screaming and shouting from the wall at my house. Our neighbour, who lives a few houses from us, said they were being shot at and he needs to borrow my phone.
“I gave him my phone and rushed back into the house. We were so shocked, we didn’t know where we should hid in the house so we are not hit by the bullets.”
A suspect has been shot on Monday (April 29) following an attempted burglary at a house in Beyers Park. pic.twitter.com/dELxmI9Pyl
— Boksburg Advertiser (@BoksburgNews) April 29, 2019
Attempted hijacking
An elderly woman who lives in Benoni, Denean Leahy, was also caught in the crossfire while at the traffic light on the corner of Williams and Bartlett roads.
She was almost hijacked by the fleeing robbers.
According to Leahy, who was with her husband in the car, while she was waiting for the traffic light to turn green her husband saw two men approaching their vehicle.
“My husband asked me if I have locked the doors and I said yes, but the window on my side was half open. One of the men pointed a firearm at me through the open window and said I should get out of the vehicle.
“The second suspect broke the window where my husband was sitting at.
“I refused to get out. I hooted and screamed and immediately accelerated, dragging him from the traffic light for a couple of metres. When I stopped the vehicle, CMS security guards were already there to apprehend the suspect.”
According to Leahy, the second suspect ran away. “I was so brave, during the scuffle I was hitting him with my elbow, trying to push his hand off me,” she said.
Thabo Ndlovu, who was sitting outside a shop near the traffic light, said he saw two men with firearms running.
“While they were running we heard gunshots as if someone were chasing them. Then they tried to hijack an old woman in her car. We then became scared because bullets were flying all over the place and we ran inside the shop,” Ndlovu said.
The area was still cordoned off by Monday afternoon.
According to Capt Mavela Masondo, provincial spokesperson, one of the suspects was shot and rushed to the hospital under police escort.
The second suspect was arrested, a few blocks away from the scene.
He said two unlicensed firearms, along with the getaway vehicle used by the suspects, were confiscated.
“It has also been discovered that the vehicle used by the robbers was stolen in Sinoville earlier this month.”
The suspects will face charges of attempted murder, attempted hijacking, housebreaking, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession in unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
