EIGHT incidents of housebreakings and home invasions were reported over the last week in Westville. One resident was lucky to escape a home invasion unharmed after armed robbers assaulted him in the early hours of the morning at his house in Ashwin Avenue on Wednesday, 11 November.
“The resident was asleep when three robbers armed with knives smashed a bedroom window to gain entry onto the property before assaulting him, stealing cellphones and jewellery before grabbing his car keys and fleeing in his car,” said Blue Security operations manager, Brian Jackson.
Jackson said the resident did not require medical attention. His car was fitted with a tracking device and later recovered in Clermont.
A housebreaking incident was reported in Aberfeldy Road and two were reported in Rannoch Place.
Housebreakers derailed a driveway gate and forced open the front door in the first case, fleeing with televisions and jewellery in the resident’s car, while a resident disturbed a housebreaker who had broken into her garage in Rannoch Place and stolen meat and cold drinks, – he said.
Housebreakers hit a second home in Rannoch Road on Friday, 13 November at 3.15pm and fled with a television and an amplifier. Housebreakers also targeted houses in Strathay Road and Struan Road on Thursday.
“On two separate occasions this week, a resident alerted our control centre to the presence of an intruder on her property, who fled when he realised she had spotted him, while in the second case, a burglar broke a window and ransacked a bedroom before fleeing with a wallet, a paintball gun and jewellery,” he said.
A security gate of a business premises in Jan Hofmeyr Road was forced open. The robbers ransacked the place before fleeing with six computers. Westville SAPS attended the scenes.
Jackson advised residents to be security-conscious and to work closely with security companies and the police to fight crime by reporting suspicious activity, such as unknown vehicles or individuals loitering in the neighbourhood.
“We urge both residents and business owners in Westville to be vigilant as we head towards the festive season, as there has been a spike in armed robberies and housebreakings reported over the past couple of weeks,” he said.
