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Teen Killed Protecting Mom During Gauteng Farm Robbery
Tragedy struck the Louw family as a harrowing Gauteng farm robbery claimed the life of their 14-year-old son, Jayden, who bravely sought to protect his mother during a violent intrusion on their smallholding.
Lyall Louw, Jayden’s heartbroken mother, recounted the fateful events to Streeknuus after the devastating loss of her son. The Louw family, including Jayden and his 10-year-old brother Damian, found themselves alone at their home in the Welbekend area outside Bapsfontein on a tragic Saturday afternoon.
Around 1:00 PM, five unknown men arrived at their front door, claiming to be looking for another house resident. Lyall immediately sensed danger when she noticed that the visitors were armed and attempted to close the door on them. However, the armed men forcefully entered the residence, subjecting her to a terrifying ordeal as they demanded access to two safes to loot their contents.
Witnessing her mother’s ordeal, Lyall implored Jayden and Damian to run to safety. Tragically, two gunshots rang out before they could escape, and Jayden sustained a gunshot wound to his chest.
Desperate to save her child, Lyall pleaded with the robbers to allow her to take Jayden to the hospital, to which they replied that he would be ‘OK.’ The gang stole cellphones and laptops before fleeing on foot to their concealed vehicles near the smallholding.
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With the help of Damian and a farmhand, Lyall managed to load the severely injured Jayden into her car and rushed him to Netcare Linmed Hospital in Benoni. En route, she contacted her husband, Duan, who was driving a client’s truck. Fortunately, Duan arrived just in time to say his heartbreaking farewell to his son.
Llewellyn Hemmens, AfriForum’s regional head of safety in the Northern region, described Jayden’s death as a tragedy and urged farmers to heighten their security measures. He highlighted the escalating crime in the area, particularly stock theft. He suggested that the attack on the Louw family might be connected to a previous incident involving eight Mozambicans’ theft of farm equipment.
The police have launched a search for the suspects and have opened a case of house robbery and murder.
Jayden’s family and community are left grappling with the devastating question of why this tragedy had to occur. Describing her son as an amazing boy who loved life and his family dearly, Lyall recalled Jayden’s fondness for reading, telling jokes (often “lame”), and playing the guitar. He aspired to be a chef and frequently cooked meals for his family, leaving cherished memories and an irreplaceable void behind him.
While funeral arrangements for Jayden remain pending, authorities are actively seeking information to aid in the investigation or the capture of the suspects. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Source: Teen killed protecting mom during Gauteng farm robbery
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Picture: X / JGvanZyl_ZA
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