Soweto shotgun gang targets couple in Roodekrans
Husband assaulted, wife shot at in armed robbery.
Police and Dowry refused to give up and were on an almost five-hour long wild goose chase after a gang believed to be heavily armed targeted a married couple in their home last night.
On Wednesday evening 23 April just before 8pm, a man and his wife both aged 51 were tied up, assaulted and robbed of their belongings by three men at their home in Roodekrans (name of street withheld in fear of suspects’ return).
According to the owner of the house, Michael Pietersen, “I went to open the garage for my wife who was on her way home. I left it open thinking she was around the corner.”
As he turned his back, the gang stormed towards Pietersen and forced him inside the house to the study room where he was tied up. Pietersen was assaulted and threatened with a firearm.
“I was told to get down on the floor while one of them pointed a firearm to the back of my head,” he said.
Once his wife arrived, the suspects were quick to order her to the floor beside her husband and tied her up as well. The men then ransacked the house, loading valuables such as iPads, a laptop bag, a TV, sound system, jewellery and car keys into their vehicle.
After some time it became quiet and the Pietersens thought that the suspects had left, but that was not the case.
“My wife, who managed to free herself, ran to the bedroom and pressed the alarm panic button.”
When she ran back to the study where her husband was, one of the suspects spotted her. In the meantime, a Dowry armed reaction officer was already inside the house. When he spotted two of the suspects, the latter fired six shots at him and Mrs Pietersen but she managed to hide behind a pillar.
The Dowry armed reaction officer, Marcel Jonker told the record that he also took cover and called for backup. The suspects then fled in the vehicle identified as a white Opel Astra with tinted windows.
Within a few minutes, at least three Dowry units arrived followed by police and members of the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch.
Not giving up, the group of servicemen decided to track the suspects by linking the owner’s iPad via another.
Dowry Reaction Manager, Bruce Webster explained that, “We then gave chase, following the signals via the iPad. The first transmission of their possible whereabouts was at the Roodepoort Rugby Club. They then made their way along Main Reef Road towards Dobsonville where we met with more SAPS members from Roodepoort and Florida, the Johannesburg K-9 unit and Johannesburg Flying Squad and circled the Dobsonville area. The final transmission was picked up in Soweto.
“At our arrival near the Soweto Towers, we spotted the suspects’ vehicle parked behind a taxi. All units approached the vehicle and started searching it. Inside, we found stolen items belonging to the Pietersens and weapons.”
Webster soon afterwards spotted one of the suspects on foot. As Webster approached, the suspect started running towards a crowd of people at a local shebeen. Webster gave chase on foot followed by SAPS members. Police and Dowry eventually lost the suspect during the chase.
A .38 special, cz 9mm and a Gatling tactical shotgun loaded with 32 ssg rounds were confiscated. No-one was taken into custody. Dowry went back to the Pietersens and returned their car keys.
The Pietersens are extremely grateful for the dedicated efforts from both the serviceman of the Roodepoort SAPS and Dowry.
Dowry thanks all the SAPS units for their involvement and support.
Absolutely brilliant. Feel safer in my neighborhood. Good work Dowry. Keep it up.
Great story happy to hear good news just like to inform ull that is actaully a protector or striker shot gun in the photo it is a sa design n takes 12 shots not 32 (I am a registered fire arms trader and dedicated sports shoter)
Wow big up to Dowry n Saps for such a gud job
Great story! Pity not all the fact are correct….Maybe credit should be given to the actual people that did the work..! Well Done Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch for tracking the suspects!
Only half the story with half the trough, the real work and effort in the successfulll tracking of the suspects vehicle was due to the quick response of members from the ROOODEKRANS NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH. They used the wife’s iPad to track the husband”s iPad which lead to the goose chase executed by members of the RNW with Dowry following them. The goose chase went up to the entrance into Dobsonville where the member with the iPad got into a police vehicle. Three police vehicles and the dowry vehicles and one RNW vehicle then went into Dobsonville after another goose chase the suspects vehicle was cornered, all the success to the tracking of the iPad and the actions of the RNW members.
All thumbs up to RNW! Graet work guys! Sorry about half the facts and half the wrong facts!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, great story but let’s not forget the others. Dedicated neighbourhood people, great response from four DMS security officials within minutes of call out on radio system and tracking done by a young roodekrans neighborhood watch patroller. Well done to those that many forget to thank. Roodekrans neighbourhood watch, you lot rock.
Great story over-all. Pity about the “wrong fire-arm” detail, creating a wrong impression about fire-arms with the un-informed public. It is the resposibility of a GOOD reporter ensure the correct detail. The shotgun mentioned is NOT a “Gatling” shotgun, it can NOT be loaded with 32 rounds of ammunition. It is NOT even a semi-automatic shotgun, but mearly a shotgun with a 12 round drum type magazine. Please report RESPONSIBLE and FACTUAL.
Very well written, but very badly researched. I would suggest the author/journalist prints a retraction with the true facts. Thank you Roodekrans Neighbourhood watch patrollers/reaction team for the quick responce, the fast thinking and voluntarily risking your lives to keep our area safe! Also to the DMS security guys! And the SAPS!
Great story….Just a pity the facts are not true..Marcel did call for backup… but on the Roodekrans neighbourhood watch radio and all the people of the neibourhood watch reacted to the scene…Including 4 officers of Dms and 2 officers of apgan.The other 2 dowry vehicals only arrived a few minutes later….A youngster of the Roodekrans neighbourhood watch then tracked the owners I-pad via using the I-pad of the wife. All neighbourhood watch responders on the scene voluntarily risked their lives to go after these criminals with dowry and Dms following them . Communication between the youngster and other members on the scene via blockwatch radio gave SAP info towards where they are heading and where the criminals are heading to.Great job *JP and to each and every person who responded.Also to the two SAP officers on the scene who quickly informed florida and Dobsonville SAP. Don’t want to burst the bubble but get the facts straight!!!!!
First off all. When we did the artical we asked JP , the “serviceman” to be at caxton newspapers the next morning and the two SAPS members so that we have representatives from DOWRY RKNW and SAPS all the units who led to tracing and finding of the vehicle and stolen goods. We aranged with saps so that jp from rknw could drive in the saps van and the passanger constable to drive with dowry behind jp and the seargant. We gave all the exact facts to caxton. Jp, kevin and all RKNW members were thanked by dowry infront of all SAPSmembers on scene we even bought coldrinks for all the SAPS and RKNW memebers present to say thanks again.