Girl, 9, dies in shoot-out
TAKEN: DAD THROWN OUT OF CAR BEFORE HIJACKERS KIDNAP DAUGHTER
Suspect also dies, another is apprehended but a third is still at large, says cop.
Anine-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries yesterday after she was wounded during a shoot-out, allegedly between her father and armed hijackers, outside her grandparents’ house in Chatsworth, Durban.
It is believed the suspects threw the father out of his vehicle before driving off with the child.
Reverend Cyril Pillay, a close relative of the family, said Everest Primary School pupil Sadia Sukhraj was in the vehicle with her father Shailendra while her mother dropped off her younger sibling with their grandmother when the incident occured.
“Our family is still reeling from shock and is trying to piece together the details of the incident. We cannot believe that our little angel has been snatched away from us. I spent Sunday night with the girl and her family and we are deeply saddened to hear about her death,” he said.
Rev Pillay also recently conducted the funeral of another hijacking victim in the area.
“The high crime level is unacceptable and we, as residents, need to stand behind the police and form street committees to safeguard our streets,” he said.
Police cordoned off a second crime scene where alleged hijackers crashed a vehicle.
Communications officer of the eThekwini Inner South cluster, Captain Cheryl Pillay, said the complainant was dropping off his daughter at a relative’s house on Himalaya Road in Shallcross. It is alleged three suspects accosted the driver and stole his motor vehicle, a grey Hyundai ix35.
“The suspects fled with the complainant’s child in the vehicle. Along Caucus Street in Shallcross, the suspects lost control of the vehicle. An off-duty police officer gave chase and apprehended one suspect. The second suspect is deceased. The nine-year-old child was taken to Chatsmed Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. At this stage, one suspect is at large.”
Meanwhile, operations director of Rescue Care Garrith Jamieson said paramedics were called to Caucus Road in Shallcross and found the road closed off by Saps and metro police officials.
“One man had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead by EMRS paramedics. A child, who had also been shot, was rushed to a nearby hospital. However, her injuries were too severe and she died despite resuscitation efforts,” he added. – Caxton News Service/Rising Sun Chatsworth