Waterfall family’s nightmare drags on
Owner of the house said they have lost thousands of Rands worth of materials as criminals have broken into their home 13 times.
A WARM home has become a nightmare for a Waterfall family who are forced to live in fear after their property was broken into 13 times in less than two years.
The Riggiens’ problems started when they sold the plot next to their property which is classified as a light industrial area.
Ralph Riggien said because of the dire straits the property is in, it has made it easy for criminals to use it as getaway, a place to hide stolen items and gain entry into his yard.
“This abandoned property does not only attract criminal elements to the area, but people also get intimate there and there is a bad smell as there are faeces and broken bottles all over,” he said.
The exhausted Ralph said he does not know what to do anymore.
“We have lost thousands of Rands worth of materials. I have hired people on two occasions to clean the property. We have spoken to the owner with no success and the municipality is also not giving us any straight answers. The last time I spoke to them I was told I should contact the police. I really do not know who to turn too, this is too much.”
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Ralph said that reporting this matter to the police has also been futile as sometimes it takes days for police to attend the scene and gather evidence.
The Highway Mail tried to contact the owner of the property but could not get hold of him by the time of going to print.
When this newspaper first published a story about the family’s despair in March, the owner said he bought the land for a particular purpose but his plans for the land have not come to fruition.
He also told the Highway Mail that he will go and check up on it, time permitting, but cannot give a date.
Hillcrest SAPS communications officer, Capt Linzi Smith, said the comments made by Mr Riggien have been noted.
“The informant has been a complainant ever since 2014. The cases that he has reported were fully investigated and he said the suspects are unknown and he was not in a position to assist the police as there was no prima facie evidence to suggest the apprehension of any likely suspect.
“Feedback in respect of the reported cases were given to the complainant. However, it must be noted that visibility by the police at the place of concern will be increased as a strategy to decrease crime,” said Smith.
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