Pensioner left dead after home invasion

SWAKOPMUND – The body of an 80-year-old man was discovered on the floor of his bedroom in the Vineta residential area in Swakopmund on Friday night after an alleged robbery.

In a crime report on Saturday, Erongo crime investigations coordinator Erastus Iikuyu said the incident happened sometime between 09h00onThursdayand18h00onFriday. The body was discovered by his two friends who went to his house after failed attempts to reach him on his cellphone.

“The victim’s body was found on the floor next to his bed, with his hands and feet tied up with shoelaces and his mouth stuffed with a piece of clothing,” Iikuyu explained. Preliminary police investigations discovered two different footprints that entered the yard, and a window that was broken from outside, which leads to suspicion that entrance was gained through that.

A small wall-mounted safe, with unknown contents, a Samsung TV and a Samsung camera are reported to be missing from the house. The suspects then allegedly got away with the deceased’s red Chevrolet Aveo sedan.

No arrests have been made so far. The deceased, who lived alone, has been identified as Lupfel Axel.

His next of kin in Germany have been informed. In an unrelated matter, a 19-year-old girl is currently being hospitalised under police guard after she allegedly killed and disposed of the body of her baby. The incident happened on Friday at around 04h00 at Swakopmund’s Ocean View area.

It is alleged that the suspect gave birth to a full-term baby girl during the early morning hours, and wrapped her in a plastic bag before dumping her inside the dustbin at home.

The lifeless body was discovered later that day by Swakopmund Municipality workers, who alerted the police.