Two car thieves stole a car from a 5th Avenue Westdene home and residents and police are on the lookout for the vehicle.
On the morning of 7 August, two men allegedly entered the 5th Avenue home where they tied up an unknown person who was in the house at the time. Shortly after, a blue BMW 3 Series with the registration of DYD686GP was stolen from the premises.
The spokesperson for the Sophiatown Police Station, Warrant Officer TJ de Bruyn, confirmed that a vehicle was taken from the premises and said no arrests have been made as yet.
De Bruyn was unclear about who tied up the person but confirmed that the person did not sustain any injuries as a result of the incident.
The Sophiatown Neighbourhood Watch has since urged residents in and around Westdene to keep a lookout for the vehicle. While there is a good possibility the car could end up in a chop shop, there is also a possibility that it could be resold.
The Automobile Association (AA) has supplied the public with information on how to avoid buying a stolen car.
According to the AA, the most important thing to check when buying a car is that its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) has not been tampered with and to make sure it corresponds to the owner registration and roadworthy documents.
To check a vehicle’s VIN number, potential buyers can also visit www.vehiclecheck.co.za and www.carvalue.co.za.
These two websites allow buyers to verify the VIN, year, make and model of a car.
Additionally, police stations and the Metro police are able to check whether a vehicle has been stolen, a service provided free of charge.
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Details: Sophiatown Police Station: 011 670 6300
