Vehicles recovered after three hijackings

THREE vehicles – hijacked in separate incidents across Port Elizabeth since Wednesday – were recovered within two hours of each other yesterday.

This emerged after an Omni Technologies vehicle was hijacked outside a school in Stofile Street, Kwazakhele, at 11.30am yesterday.

Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said the driver and passenger had been ambushed while leaving after servicing equipment.

“As they drove out of the school, three men ran in front of the car and pointed firearms at them.

“Two shots were fired at the men to ensure they did not resist.

“Both men were thrown out of the vehicle and the [suspects] fled,” Beetge said.

“The bakkie was recovered on the corner of 10th Avenue and Avenue E in New Brighton at midday by K9 unit members working nearby.

“The bakkie was found minutes after the K9 members found another hijacked car parked at the railway flats in Avenue E.”

The K9 members recovered a maroon VW Golf that had been hijacked in Salamntu Street, Zwide, at 1pm on Wednesday.

“While officers were standing at the hijacked Golf, they received information that the hijacked Omni Technologies bakkie was nearby.”

In Third Avenue, St George’s Strand, a 34-year-old mother and her children, aged four and nine, were hijacked in their Mercedes Benz C180 as they reversed out of their yard at about 7am yesterday while on their way to school.

“The mother saw seven men standing across the road who then confronted her,” Beetge said.

“They had firearms with them and forced all three into the house. The woman’s 60-year-old mother was inside the house.”

The woman and her children were locked inside the bathroom while the grandmother was held at gunpoint in the kitchen.

The men ransacked the house before fleeing in the Mercedes.

At 11am, it was recovered in an open area in NU5, Motherwell.