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.
