People power puts would-be hijackers in hospital after armed robbery

A crime spree by two gun-toting alleged gangsters ended when motorists resisted being hijacked on Friday in Muizenberg, Cape Town, leaving the suspects in hospital.  

Western Cape police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa said the men allegedly broke into the home of an 82-year-old woman, tied her up and stole several items.

“Several metres from the first scene the fleeing suspects robbed another person of a cellular telephone. Once the suspects got to the Main Road, St James, they attempted to hijack a vehicle driven by a woman,” said Potelwa.

“When members of the public intervened they turned their attention to another vehicle whose driver also tried to assist the driver of the first vehicle. A third vehicle rammed into the second vehicle, knocking one suspect down.

“He sustained serious injury after being hit by the third vehicle that rammed into the door of the second vehicle that was being hijacked. At the time, the other suspect fled from the scene dropping a firearm in a nearby bush.”

Potelwa said Muizenberg police, who were rushing to the scene, saw a man fitting the description of one of the suspects and chased and apprehended him.

“Inside the second vehicle the suspects attempted to hijack, police found several items stolen from the home in Moselle Road. They included jewellery, money in foreign currency, a cellular telephone and firearm,” said Potelwa.

“As part of ongoing investigations into the different crime scenes, police embarked on a search for the firearm that was allegedly thrown into a nearby bush by the second suspect who fled the scene.

“At 3.45pm on Friday they recovered the firearm,” said Potelwa, adding that it has since been linked to several crimes.

The suspects, one them in his early 20s and other in his 30s, face charges of house robbery, pointing a firearm, armed robbery and possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

“Police have also ascertained that the suspects have links to gangs. As the investigations unfold, the possibility of the suspects linked to other crimes cannot be ruled out,” said Potelwa.

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