Jacaranda Crescent home ravaged by “municipal employees”
Five unknown men posed as municipal employees who “came to read the meter” approached a domestic worker in Jacaranda Crescent in Forderville
A Jacaranda Crescent domestic worker was threatened while being held at knife point then locked in one of the toilet cubicles while the home she works at was raided for valuables. On Tuesday, March 3 at midday five unknown men posed as municipal employees who “came to read the meter” approached a property in Jacaranda Crescent in Forderville.
Once the victim opened the gate for the men, they entered the yard with a vehicle bearing a GP registration number. It is alleged that the Jacaranda Crescent home was robbed of television sets, jewellery, cellphones, cash, a firearm and other belongings. The suspects fled the scene in their getaway vehicle.
Once the victim released the suspects had left the home she screamed for help. Neighbours came to her rescue and contacted the Estcourt police to make their way to the crime scene. The domestic was not injured.
According to Estcourt’s Police Communication Officer Lieutenant Colonel, TM Mabaso the information was immediately circulated between the relevant stations, the Combined Action Team (CAT), members of the Hawks as well as the Mountain Rise K9 Unit. After a follow up on the information the vehicle was spotted along the N3 on Wednesday afternoon, February 4.
“Once the suspects spotted the police vehicles they spend off and a car chase emerged. The suspects lost control, overturned and crashed their getaway vehicle on the N3 near Ashburton, just outside Pietermaritzburg in an attempt to escape from the police” said Lt.Col Mabaso. Four suspected house robbers, aged between 20 and 23, weren’t seriously injured in the accident and were arrested on scene.
According to other media reports the highway towards Pietermaritzburg was closed for several hours, resulting in traffic obstructions and cars were being diverted at Cato Ridge. Police later established that the suspects’ vehicle had been hijacked in Gauteng in October 2014. “All the property stolen from the home in Jacaranda Crescent was recovered from the suspects, who will appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court soon on a number of charges against them,” Confirmed Mr Mabaso. An updated version of this article will feature in Wednesday’s edition of the Estcourt and Midlands News .
