A strange spate of thefts has evidently seen crooks stealing car batteries in Acaciavale.
Residents of Daffodil Crescent and surrounding areas in Acaciavale say they have fallen victim to these “car battery thieves”. Oddly, the batteries are all the thieves steal, not attempting to make off with anything else.
One resident of Daffodil Crescent was initially annoyed when her car wouldn’t start in the morning. She popped the hood and was astonished to see that the car battery was not there. She immediately reported it to the police station and opened a case. However, she says that to this day she is still waiting for police to come and take fingerprints.
Many other people living in the street and surrounding areas are evidently facing the same disconcerting situation.
“We don’t know what to think or who is behind it all. We are also afraid, because we don’t know if these criminals are dangerous and what would happen if they were caught in the act.
Aside from that, it is very costly to keep on buying new batteries when they get stolen,” said one angry resident.
“Is this a prank or are these thieves genuinely making money from this criminal activity? If it’s a joke for them, it’s certainly not for all the victims who have to fork out their hard-earned cash to get their vehicle going again.
Cars are people’s livelihoods; you can’t get to your job without it!” added another furious resident.
The thieves are still on the prowl, and the question on everyone’s lips is, “What is so valuable about a car battery?”
New car batteries range from about R650 to R1350.
Commenting on the matter, police say that a handful of theft cases concerning car batteries have been reported in the Acaciavale area over the past three months.
In Daffodil Road, an incident was reported in January and February this year.
The extent of this crime in Daffodil Road and Acaciavale has therefore been greatly over-exaggerated, say police.
The area in question is being policed in terms of Crime Threat Analysis (CTA). Police add that the resident referred to in the story is encouraged to make contact with Ladysmith Detective Services for information pertaining to his / her case.
