Home robberies escalate in Botha’s Hill

Botha’s Hill couple tied up, robbed

TWO brazen thieves broke into an old age home on Old Main Road in Botha’s Hill on Tuesday (13 May) morning.

The thieves, armed with a rock and an umbrella, entered the building through the front door. They held-up and threatened four staff members and an elderly resident.

Before fleeing across the railway line they stripped two rings from the elderly woman and looted two cellphones and a handbag from the victims. No one was injured during the incident.

According to Steven King, of SecureLink and Waterfall Crime Watch, they initially received a report that two elderly residents had been tied up, threatened and robbed by the two thieves.

King also reported that they responded to an attempted house robbery on Mkhize Road in Botha’s Hill on Monday.

One robber was spotted at the scene. He initially attempted to enter the home through the lounge’s sliding door.

“The domestic worker who was at home at the time of the incident said that the man was pretty agitated. He tried to smash through the sliding door with his shoulder. When he failed he threw a brick through the bedroom window. As he entered the home he cut himself on the broken glass,” said King.

It was also reported that the robber chased the domestic worker through the house, but she managed to evade him and pressed the panic button. The robber rifled through the home owner’s cupboards before fleeing the scene. Authorities pursued the robber by following the blood trail that he had left behind, but they later lost the trail over the railway lines.

At the time of publication it was unclear if anything has been stolen from the home, as authorities were still conducting their investigation.

“Four robberies and burglaries have been reported in Botha’s Hill over the past few weeks, two of which took place on Old Main Road on Tuesday. It is suspected that it might be the same individuals committing these crimes, but we cannot confirm this,” said King.