Case postponed of man found driving vehicle with deceased woman in boot
Cuan Karelse is facing a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as a charge of murder.
The Mpumalanga man found with the body of a deceased woman in the vehicle he was driving in Moreleta Park will reappear in the docks on September 2.
The man was found in possession of the deceased’s stolen vehicle and property over the weekend.
He appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on August 26.
Cuan Karelse (21), from Standerton in Mpumalanga, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, August 24 in Moreleta Park, after he was found in possession of a stolen vehicle which contained the dead body of the vehicle’s owner.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Karelse is facing a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition as well as a charge of murder.
Karelse is accused of murdering 57-year-old Renee Lea, also from Standerton, before making off with her car and appliances.
Mahanjana said in the afternoon of August 23, the accused allegedly slipped into the deceased’s residence as she was driving in her vehicle.
“It is alleged that the accused tied her up, robbed her of her belongings, wrapped her with a carpet, put her in the boot of her car and drove with her to Pretoria.”
When the dead woman’s daughter could not get hold of her on the phone, she called the tracker company to locate the car.
“The tracker company then located the car at a petrol station in Moreleta Park, Pretoria while the accused was inside the shop,” said Mahanjana.
She said the petrol attendants identified the accused as the person who was driving the vehicle.
“The tracker company personnel then apprehended the accused. When they opened the boot of the car, the deceased’s body was found with cables around her neck and her mouth covered with tape.”
She added that the tracking company officials then called the police and the accused was arrested and remanded in custody.
Mahanjana said after his brief appearance in court, the matter was postponed to September 2 for bail information and for the Legal Aid attorney to consult with the accused.
“The state intends to oppose bail in the matter,” Mahanjana said.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said preliminary investigations suggest the vehicle was stolen in Mpumalanga on Friday evening.
Masondo said the victim is believed to have been killed during a house robbery.
“The suspect allegedly ransacked the house before killing the victim, putting her in her Range Rover and driving off with it.”
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