WATCH: Attempted car theft foiled by eyewitness

An attempted vehicle theft took place in the parking lot of the Witpoortjie Spar on the afternoon of March 14 on the West Rand, Roodepoort Record reports.

In the past two weeks a total of three vehicles have been targeted by would-be thieves – with one being successful.

The damaged door lock of the vehicle.

Frank Shaw, the latest victim, just popped into the Spar for five minutes to play Powerball.

“I parked my red Volkswagen Golf in the parking lot across from the shop, locked it and ran in quickly. When I came back out and slid the key into the lock it would not turn. That is when I noticed the lock was broken, and the door was open,” Shaw said.

An eyewitness told him that someone just tried to steal his vehicle. He also noticed that the ignition was damaged.

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“I could not unlock the steering wheel or close the door, and had to phone someone to come and tow me home. The damage does not bother me so much, but the whole thing was so unnecessary. The car is almost 27 years old, I never thought someone would try to steal it. People must be vigilant at all times; we live in a dangerous society,” he said.

One of the eyewitnesses, a Caxton employee, Janine Myburgh.

She said she went to Spar to buy something to eat.

“As I came out, I saw this man standing next to the red Golf and thought he looked very suspicious. It looked like he was hitting the door with something to open it, and while I was watching he climbed into the car and battled to start it. I immediately thought that it was one of my colleagues’ vehicles and ran into the building. I think he saw me, because when I ran back out, he was out of the vehicle and running to a dark green Toyota Tazz that was waiting for him across the road,” she said.

– Caxton News Service

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