A Radbourne Road home owner and his family were fortunate to escape unharmed after a shoot-out between house robbers and the Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) on Thursday night, 1 March.
The Warner Beach home owner, who asked not want to be named, said he and his wife were in the bathroom and their teenage sons were watching TV when he heard a commotion.
“When I came out the bathroom I saw four men armed with 9mm pistols,” he said. “They forced us all into a bedroom and demanded money. I gave them cash we had in a cupboard but they demanded more. I went out to my bakkie to get them more.”
The CCPO was alerted and when they arrived, the men opened fire on them and they retaliated. They ran out of the house and jumped the fence. While jumping over a neighbouring gate, one of the robbers dropped his cellphone.
READ ALSO: Safety tips to survive a home invasion
“It happened so quick. It was very unusual that they were only interested in cash. My son had his cellphone in his hand and they weren’t interested in taking it,” said the home owner.
Footage of the shoot-out and their escape was captured on neighbouring CCTV cameras. The footage shows a Volvo dropping the men off and driving past again during the commotion.
In their haste to flee, the men hijacked a vehicle in Northway to make their escape. It is not known if any of them were injured in the shoot-out. The home owner said they found one of the robber’s bullets and informed the police, who have yet to return to collect the evidence.
The CCPO warns residents that it has noticed home invaders tend to jump walls and gate in the twilight hours while residents linger outside their homes. The home owner admitted the front gate was open and the men jumped over their wall.
READ ALSO: Shulton Park pensioner tussles with armed burglars
“Perhaps reinforce your boundary walls with razor wire,” suggested CCPO committee member, George Snodey. “It seems these crimes are opportunistic. They drive up and down a road and to if there’s a window of opportunity and then strike within seconds.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 694 6047
The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
