House robberies increasing

Most house robberies in Carletonville occurred either on the side of the town or close to an open veld.
In one incident, house robbers struck on Boundary Street on the eastern edge of the town on the night of Sunday, 2 April.
The resident of an outside room was dishing up his dinner at approximately 20:30 when three unknown men stormed in. Two had firearms, while the third carried an axe.
They grabbed the resident and tied his hands with wire.
They stole his surround sound system, blankets, a tablet and cell phone before fleeing.
Meanwhile, a swift response by police members led to house robbers fleeing a house on the far western side of Carletonville this week.
A resident of Matroosberg Street was in her home with her children when this incident happened on Monday, 27 March.
At approximately 22:24, the woman realised several Xhosa-speaking men were in her house. She managed to text for help on the WhatsApp group for the area.
Luckily, two Carletonville police members were on the same group and saw her message while on patrol in town.
They raced to the scene and saw a charcoal VW Polo without number plates in front of the house.
The house robbers saw the police, stormed out, and ran into the veld, leaving behind their loot and car. The police investigations continue.
In yet another of these crimes, a resident and her three-year-old son were sleeping in their outside room in a yard on Topaz Street on 1 April. Although this residence is in the middle of town, it is next to the large open veld at the green belt canal.
They suddenly awoke to someone breaking open their door at approximately 23:45.
An unknown man with a firearm stormed into the room. His accomplice, who was wielding an axe, stood by the door.
“Give us your money,” the robbers barked.
When the mother said she did not have any money with her, the thugs tied her up with television cable and grabbed her 32-inch flat-screen television, decoder and cell phone. They then ran away.
House robbers were also very active in East Driefontein in the past week.
The Carletonville police were called to Zambesi Street in the early hours of 29 March.
The residents of one of the houses were asleep when they woke up to the sound of someone in their home at approximately 01:00. They realised three unknown men were in their house.
The thugs shot a resident in his knee before grabbing valuables and fleeing with a television, two cell phones and various electrical
appliances.
The police are investigating house robbery and attempted murder cases.
Another incident occurred at their neighbour’s house shortly afterwards. Police suspect the same robbers were involved.
The man living in the house woke up to see a man pointing a firearm at him. The intruder and two accomplices told the man to get his two children from their rooms and keep them with him. They continued to search the house and took a television, a surround sound system and four cell phones.