Couple traumatised after armed robbery
IN YET another armed robbery to hit Kimberley recently, a local couple was left “severely traumatised” after being assaulted and tied up at their home by four men early yesterday morning.
Gerhard Kruger, 58, and his wife Christa, 59, became the latest victims of a housebreaking when four armed men gained access to their home in Kekewich Drive in Monument Heights early yesterday morning.
According to Gerhard, he awoke at around 5.30am and went to unlock the security gate separating the house’s first floor from the ground floor, when he was overpowered by four armed men.
“As I unlocked the security gate, four men stormed towards me and completely overwhelmed me. They forced me back into the bedroom, where they tied my wife and I up with shoelaces and left us on the bed while they ransacked the room and rest of the house. They managed to take some jewellery, our cellphones and a laptop. They also demanded money from me and when I told them that I did not have any (money) one of the robbers hit me over the head with a pistol,” Gerhard said.
After the men left, the couple managed to untie themselves and called police from their landline.
Gerhard added that the four men had gained access to the house after forcing open the burglar bars on a window. However, it is still unclear how the four gained access into the yard, as the premises is surrounded by a high wall and electric fencing.
The couple were yesterday afternoon still busy “picking up the pieces” following the incident and said that it was only “by the grace of God” that they were spared any serious injuries or death.
One neighbour, Rinus Weenink, did indicate to police that he drove past the Kruger residence just after midnight and noticed that the streetlights were off in the area. However, Weenink added that he did not hear or see anything further.
Police spokesperson, Captain Olebogeng Tawana, yesterday confirmed that police are investigating a case of house robbery following an incident where a couple was robbed of their belongings when four suspects stormed into their residence in Kekewich Drive, Kimberley.
“The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction after the incident and we are requesting any person with information that could assist us to solve this case to contact the investigating officer, Constable Itumeleng Frans, on 079 5111 626 or 053 8384 200,” Tawana said.
Meanwhile, the owner of Top Security Systems (TSS) in Kimberley, Phillip Hindley, said yesterday that Kimberley has seen a recent increase in the number of housebreaking incidents, especially at the residences of “soft targets”.
He told the DFA that especially the suburb of Hillcrest had experienced an increased number of housebreakings recently.
Hindley said that robbers were targeting old people, woman living alone and homes without security systems.
“People in Kimberley are still living like it is the seventies and do not really appreciate the true value of a security system before it is too late,” he stated.
Hindley added that “crime would only get worse” and advised residents to be extra vigilant.
“No robbery just happens randomly. Robbers watch targeted residences very closely and know who lives there before attacking,” he said.
The Kimberley Flying Squad arrested two men on Saturday following a house robbery in Klisserville at around 2.45pm.
According to the police, the two male suspects entered the residential premises in Klisserville and threatened a 27-year-old women with a knife. The men then fled with a laptop and three cellphones but were arrested minutes later by the Kimberley Frying Squad.