Five armed robbers broke into a house on Keurboom Street in Sundowner on 4 December at 12.30pm.
The five armed men held up the two children and the domestic worker. The domestic worker pressed the Londoloza panic button, while robbers were rummaging through the house and packing their vehicle with the stolen goods.
Londoloza responded to the call and immediately alerted the SAPS. On arrival, Londoloza Tactical Response team (TRT) were met with five armed suspects. One robber pointed a gun at the TRT member who then shot at the robber in fear of his life.
The robbers then fled in their white Ford Ranger double-cab bakkie. Londoloza pursued the suspects from Sundowner along President Fouché Drive. Shots were fired from both the suspects and the response teams.
The driver of the getaway vehicle was shot, where-after he hit the first robot on the intersection of President Fouché and Malibongwe drives; the driver lost control hitting a green Mercedes, the adjacent robot and a First Road tow truck.
The Ford Ranger landed on the island opposite the intersection. Three suspects fled the scene, one was apprehended a short distance from the accident scene. The other two suspects fled to a nearby veld. Later the Londoloza, SAPS and tactical units as well as the SAPS helicopter detained these two suspects. One of them was found hiding in the river in the veld – completely submerged under water; only the very top of his head could be seen.
Jean Briedenhann from Emer-G-Med was at the Caltex service station across the road when he heard shots being fired. He was told the scene was still unsafe to enter as shots were still being exchanged.
Briedenhann attended to the suspects on scene. Emergy Med paramedic Dewat Jooste attended to the driver of the vehicle that was found outside of the car – he had been shot in the head and back. The second suspect was shot in the chest area. The third robber who tried to flee was found with a gunshot wound to his leg.
All five suspects were transported to hospital by Netcare 911 and ER24.
Londoloza general manager Allan Baudry commented, ”I am very proud of my team; the guys found the two fleeing suspects in the veld.”
TRT member Ivan Ryan and operations manager of Londoloza were part of the team that found the fleeing suspects. They commented on the successful return, “We found the suspects where one suspect had an injured finger and the other one had been shot in the back.”
The owner of the Sundowner house and his friend came to the scene of the accident and shooting.
He seemed incredibly shocked and was treated by paramedics.
Londoloza has set up a temporary guard outside of the residents’ home to ensure their continued protection.
Augustina Seleme of the Provincial Communications Office for SAPS said, ”There will be three charges laid on all five of the suspects, the charges will be possession of stolen goods, possession of unlicensed firearms and armed robbery.”
Honeydew Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs confirmed that two of the suspects subsequently succumbed to their gunshot wounds.
