Some of the serious cases reported in Boksburg recently:
Robbery
• A gang of five balaclava-clad intruders forced their way into a residential house in Weavers Nest, Parkrand, and robbed the homeowner on April 13. The victim told the police it was at about 3am when the robbers forced a door open and pointed a gun at him. They demanded the keys to the safe and stole jewellery, a TV set and a cellphone before fleeing the scene.
• A cup of hot tea helped save a Sunward Park family’s belongings after a gang of robbers entered their premises in Gesternte Road recently. According to police, three armed men entered the property and threatened the daughter with a firearm. The father, who was nearby, had a hot cup of tea in his hand and threw it into one of the suspects’ face. The robbers fired shots as they were fleeing the scene empty-handed.
• Robbers targeted the medical surgery in the Addies Centre, on the corner of Trichardts Road and Champion Street, and stole an employee’s cellphone on April 13. The victim told police it was broad daylight when two armed men entered the surgery pretending to be a potential customer. After inquiring about the services, the men held the staff member up with a firearm and stole her cellphone.
• In Parkdene, robbers entered a house in Van Jaarsveld Street and threatened the homeowner with a pickaxe before stealing electrical appliances on April 14. They locked the victim inside the bathroom before helping themselves to the house contents. Stolen items included electrical appliances, money and clothing.
Burglary
• Thieves targeted the Spec-Savers at the Hyperama Centre in Rondebult Road, Parkdene, and stole pairs of spectacles. The complainant told the police she arrived at work on April 14 to find the store had been broken into, apparently during the night. It emerged the burglars forced the door open to gain entry and stole different types of glasses worth thousands of rands.
Sexual assault
• A Tambo Memorial patient opened a case of rape against one of the doctors for sexually assaulting her. The pregnant woman told police she recently went to the hospital for a check-up, and as part of the examination, the doctor allegedly performed sexual acts instead of administering an ultrasound scan. The matter is being investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence Unit (FCS). Police could not confirm whether the doctor had been arrested and formally charged.
• A woman told police she was raped by her ex-boyfriend after she went to fetch her belongings from his home on April 16. According to police, the woman arrived at her former boyfriend’s shack in Angelo informal settlement and found the man was not home. She then opened the unlocked door and took her belongings before going to the neighbour, where she encountered her ex-boyfriend. He allegedly forced her to go back with him to his shack where he then stripped the woman naked and raped her. After the rape, he left and locked the woman in the shack. The woman forced the door open, but the ex-boyfriend saw her leaving the shack and forced her back inside. After convincing him she would not report him to police, he apparently escorted her to the taxi rank to ensure she boarded a taxi to Germiston and not to the Boksburg Police Station. The woman, however, later reported the incident to police and the suspect was arrested.
Hijacking
• A truck driver, driving a company truck loaded with goods worth about R900 000, was hijacked in Atlas Road on April 15. The driver told police he pulled over to the side of the road after noticing there was a mechanical problem with his truck. While checking what the problem was, a vehicle pulled up next to the truck. A man got out, approached him and asked what was wrong with the truck. As the driver was getting into his truck, another man emerged, grabbed his leg and pulled him out of the truck. Another man pointed a firearm at him. The driver was forced into the suspects’ vehicle and they drove off. The truck driver said he could hear the suspects communicating with others, who said they were inside the truck. The driver said he only managed to run away after he told his capturers that he wanted to urinate. The truck, worth about R250 000, and the goods were stolen. The victim described the assailants as black males speaking Zimbabwean.
