Bay Kidnapping scare
Community turns on man, who attempted to lure two women and a 16-yearold girl into his vehicle
POLICE in Richards Bay have issued a stern warning to school children and adults who walk or rely on public transport, to never walk alone and never accept lifts from strangers.
This after a man in a black BMW with no registration plates attempted to lure two women and a 16-year-old girl into his vehicle on Friday.
At about 6am, the two domestic workers and numerous school children were waiting at the bus stop nearest to the site of the Aquadene housing development.
The man stopped and started talking to them from inside the vehicle, attempting to entice them inside.
They refused but the large-built man persisted and eventually made moves to exit his vehicle.
It was then that the two women, shaken and terrified, ran to the safety of the nearest house from where the incident was reported to the CPF.
The man then drove slowly from the scene and was seen turning around at the end of the road.
It is unclear whether the man’s actual target was the school children or the two women, but they said he appeared agitated and determined to get someone into his vehicle.
The same vehicle was reportedly seen later in the day at a shopping centre in Brackenham.
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At around 5pm, the vehicle returned to Aquadene with the man this time reportedly trying to lure a 16-yearold girl into his vehicle. She ran to a nearby house and managed to get help from community members, who cornered the vehicle near a local primary school. Police were called to the scene as community members beat the man, damaged his vehicle and subsequently kept him subdued. He has since been detained at the Richards Bay SAP.
Richards Bay SAPS spokesperson Captain Debbie Ferreira said people, especially women and girls, should never walk alone, and preferably in groups larger than two, and should try not to walk after sunset or before sun-up.
‘Never accept lifts or anything else from strangers; always look for somewhere safe to flee to or try to attract the attention of someone else if in trouble; try to identify markings on the vehicle and try to remember registration plate numbers,’ said Ferreira.
‘And always report such incidents to the police by immediately contacting 10111 so we can warn the public and so our patrolling officers can be made aware of them.’