Three house robberies in six hours

Just as police released the latest crime statistics which revealed an increase in house robberies in the Eastern Cape, there were three in Nelson Mandela Bay in the space of six hours.

The latest occurred at 3am on Wednesday, when four men broke into a house in Themba Dlamini Road, Walmer township, while a teenager was sleeping in a room with a twomonth-old baby.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan Rheeder said the 14year-old girl had woken up to a man in a balaclava climbing through her bedroom window.

“As he entered, the baby began to cry. The man was then joined by another three men.”

The children’s 52-year-old mother in a nearby room called for her daughter to bring the crying baby.

Rheeder said the four men, armed with knives, had grabbed cellphones, TV games and a PlayStation before fleeing as the mother got up.

“One of the knives was found in the bedroom.”

At 9.40pm on Tuesday, a 51year-old woman was ambushed shortly after arriving home in G-West Extension in Walmer township.

She was confronted by a man standing in the yard.

He claimed he was going to houses asking for transport money to take his children home.

Within minutes, two other men who were hiding nearby, joined him.

“All three pulled out firearms and pushed [the woman] into the house. The woman’s two children were inside at the time,” Rheeder said.

The suspects demanded money and the bakkie keys before fleeing in the vehicle. Detectives are investigating whether the crimes are linked.

At about 9.30pm on Tuesday, two men robbed a 39year-old woman in her home in Bethelsdorp.

She heard a loud bang at the front door and went to investigate and found that the door had been kicked in.

Two of the three men inside the house had firearms.

They threatened her and after they stole cellphones, the woman screamed for help and they ran off.