A Johannesburg woman has opened a criminal case at the Rosebank police station after she was allegedly drugged and robbed in what she believes was a meticulously orchestrated setup by a stranger posing as her friend.
The woman, who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity, said she did not expect anything was amiss when she received a text message from her friend’s number.
She is speaking out about her ordeal to prevent other women from falling victim to similar scams.
“I received a message from my friend’s number and truly thought it was her. She said she was not OK and urgently needed to meet at a hotel,” she said.
Concerned for her friend, the woman said she booked a hotel room in Rosebank and sent the details to the number she believed belonged to her friend.
Not long after, the supposed friend replied, saying she was running late but would send another trusted friend in her place.
“When I heard a knock on my door, I saw a man in a white shirt, black jeans and a black bucket hat. He claimed my friend had sent him,” she said.
The man brought energy drinks and bottles of water. The woman accepted a bottle of sparkling water.
“Everything seemed normal until I drank the water. I suddenly felt lightheaded, and the man kept talking, trying to keep me engaged. Then he attempted to rape me but failed. I think he stopped because he noticed I was on my period,” she said.
She alleged the man drew a gun and pointed it at her, demanding that she comply with his instructions.
“He told me to order an Uber on my phone and insisted I behave normally when we left the hotel. I was terrified, but I did as he said to protect myself.”
As they exited the hotel, the suspect carried her handbag and repeatedly called her “babe” in front of the Uber driver, trying to make it appear as though they were a couple.
The woman said the gun remained pointed at her through her bag, but the suspect ensured the driver could not see it.
Their ride headed to Randburg. Upon arrival, the man left the vehicle with her phone and handbag, asking the driver to wait. He never returned, disappearing with her belongings.
The Uber driver lent her his phone so she could contact her family for help.
“I keep replaying it in my mind, asking myself what I could have done differently,” she said.
Now she hopes justice will be served and the perpetrator apprehended before others fall victim.
Police spokesperson Capt Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that a case of armed robbery has been opened and investigations are ongoing. “No arrests have been made yet,” Sibeko said.
The Sunday Times contacted the hotel, but they declined to comment on the incident.
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