An 89-year-old woman was critically injured when criminals broke into her home and assaulted her before fleeing with her possessions and car.
The suspects are believed to have gained entry to her house in Caledon Street, Stanford through a window between 02:00 and 03:30 on Wednesday 14 December.
Captain Fadila September, a police spokesperson, said the robbers reportedly made off with some of the victim’s belongings and her silver Honda Ballade.
Alert officers of Stanford Security became suspicious when they spotted the vehicle on the R43 a short while later, September said.
“When the driver of the vehicle realised he had been spotted he abandoned the vehicle, ran across the R43 and disappeared into the bushes,” she related.
“Officers traced the vehicle’s ownership, and this led them to the victim’s house where they found her unresponsive on the floor.”
She reportedly sustained serious head and facial injuries and was transported to hospital.
Three suspects were arrested approximately three hours later, thanks to good cooperation among various law enforcement agencies, including the Stanford police, Overstrand Law Enforcement, Stanford Security, Afriforum and members of the Stanford Community Policing Forum (CPF).
“A manhunt was undertaken [by all role-players] and two male suspects, aged 19 and 36 years, were arrested,” said September.
“A third suspect, 35 years old, was found in possession of the victim’s Samsung i-pad and arrested for possession of stolen property.”
The Stanford CPF confirmed the victim was in “a critical but stable condition”.
