Police at Parkweg would like to warn motorists to be cautious when driving into their homes, especially at night; this is subsequent to a recent increase in the number of driveway hijackings.
This week the police recorded two incidents of robberies which had occurred in driveways of houses. According to the crime analysis reports, it appears that driveway hijackings are most often opportunistic and don`t seem to bear patterns in terms of the time of the day that they take place, or the particular areas that are targeted.
In the first incident, a young couple (both aged 24), were arriving home in Groenewoud Street in the Universitas suburb on Sunday at around 00:20. Shortly after the driver had stopped in his driveway and waited for the gate to close, an unknown vehicle tailgated him and blocked the gate from closing; two armed suspects held the couple at gunpoint as they demanded that they get out of the vehicle. The two victims were tied up and forcefully locked into the boot before the suspects drove off with the vehicle.
The victims were later dropped off at the Phahameng cemetery in Mangaung, where they were rescued by the police who were on patrol in the vicinity.
The vehicle was circulated and was recovered within two hours when the suspects tried to cross over at the Lesotho border. Three men and one woman, aged between 25 and 49, were arrested.
In a second incident which reportedly had occurred last night at 20:00, a 31-year-old man stopped his vehicle in a driveway at a guesthouse in Brandwag. While waiting in the car, two armed men threatened him with firearms and demanded his car keys; he managed to escape in the process of the suspects’ attempt wanting to put him in the boot; the victim sustained head injuries as the suspects had assaulted him with firearms when he tried to fight them back.
The suspects drove off with his white VW Polo with registration FHM 769 FS; no arrests in this incident have been made yet.
Following the above reported incidents, the police would like to advise the public to be vigilant of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious behaviour to the police immediately.
The residents need to know who belongs in the vicinity of their homes and workplaces and keep a lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
When you get home do not turn into your driveway while waiting for your gate to open, rather park next to your entrance while you open the gate to allow for a quick getaway if necessary. By stopping at your gate or driveway, you place yourself in vulnerable position and could easily get boxed in by the potential hijackers.
If you think you are being followed, drive past your gate and contact the police or security company immediately. Police also warn home owners against opening their motor gates and garages at the same time as this makes them more vulnerable to criminals.
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