News
Faerie Glen traffic light robbery victim speaks out
Five minutes after dropping off his five-month-old child at nursery school last week, a Pretoria east man was accosted at the traffic light on the corner of Atterbury Road and Manitoba Drive.
The man (who didn’t want to be named due to fear and because the other suspect is still at large) said as he was threatened with a gun, all he could think of was surviving to make it out alive.
He said he feared for his life, wondering if he would ever see his family again.
The man was accosted on October 2.
He said he struggled to keep his composure, fighting back the panic that threatened to overwhelm him.
“This ordeal was one of the most terrifying moments of my life,” the victim said.
He said he just wanted to survive.
“When I got to the traffic light, the suspect appeared out of nowhere and he pointed a firearm at me and instructed me to roll down my window.”
He said the suspect was with a friend who did nothing but stand on the side of the road.
“The suspect snatched my phone, and laptop bag, then fled.”
He said he was in a state of panic and the other motorists couldn’t do anything as they feared for their lives as well.
“Imagine if I was driving with my little child and this happened, I am glad that I wasn’t hurt.”
He said when he passed the traffic light, he pulled over.
“I managed to get help from a man driving a motorcycle, he handed me his phone. I contacted my wife who was also driving in the same direction and asked her to be cautious but she was already at the traffic light. He saw the suspect on the side of the road.
He said they phoned the police who apprehended the suspect.
“I went to the station to identify him and managed to recover my stolen goods.”
The suspect had allegedly been terrorising commuters and motorists at the traffic light in Faerie Glen for weeks.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk confirmed that the suspect was arrested after he robbed another victim.
Van Dyk said the suspect is facing charges of armed robbery and possession of stolen property as well as a dangerous weapon (firearm).
“The suspect was found in possession of replica firearms which he used to rob his victims,” said Van Dyk.
He said investigations are ongoing to see if he can be linked to more robbery cases.
Brinant Private Security group spokesperson Emile Rheeder said stakeholders received information about an armed robbery at the intersection of Atterbury and Manitoba around 07:30.
“One member of the Garsfontein Sector 2 CPF witnessed the robbery and alerted patrollers, police and private security companies.”
Rheeder said the teams started searching for the robber.
“Communication was well maintained and exit/escape routes were closed.”
Rheeder said the teams saw the suspect who matched the description given.
“This resulted in the arrest of the suspect who for weeks has been terrorising commuters.”
He said the suspect was found in possession of two imitation firearms and stolen property including a laptop, a Samsung phone and a charging dock.
“Garsfontein police opened a case file with the detention of the suspect.”
Another victim who thinks she was accosted by the same suspect last year came forward.
Nicole Swart said at a traffic light near Faerie Glen Hospital around 07:05, on September 15 last year an armed man held a gun to her head. Her son was also in the car. Swart said she fought back so the suspect failed to take her property.
“This has caused me severe trauma and every time I approach a traffic light I get anxiety,” she said.
Swart said her ordeal was in the vicinity of the October 2 robbery.
“This is in the vicinity where he was caught, and I have seen him twice around Alsatian Drive since the incident.”
She decided to change her daily route for the sake of her son.
“After the arrest, I went to the police station to see if I could identify him however police wouldn’t let me since I didn’t have a case number.”
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