Johannesburg – Four suspects have been arrested in Westville for hijacking, murder and house robbery, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Wednesday.
This comes after 46-year-old Paresh Bodalia, the owner of Powerhouse Security, was killed in an attempted hijacking at his Chearsley Road home on Saturday while his young twin children were in the car.
Bodalia was opening his front driveway gate when a man carrying a gun approached him. He exchanged fire with the robbers and they fled after they shot him in the head, but failed to take his car.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said eThekwini Inner and Outer West police found three suspects inside the vehicle they had allegedly used during the Westville murder and in the commission of a house robbery at Empangeni.
“It is alleged that on Saturday unknown gunmen accosted a homeowner in Chearsley Road, fired shots at him and he returned fire,” Gwala said.
“The victim, 46, died at the scene but he managed to wound one suspect in the exchange of gunfire and all the criminals fled in their getaway vehicle.”
Gwala said the suspects had allegedly took their injured accomplice to hospital and hijacked another vehicle in the Hillcrest policing area.
But with the help of the tracking system, on Monday the vehicle was recovered and three suspects were immediately arrested.
Gwala said the fourth suspect, who had a gunshot wound, was traced at the hospital where he was kept under police guard and was charged for murder.
“Suspects were charged for car hijacking and murder and they appeared in the Pinetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The injured suspect will appear in court as soon as he is released from hospital,” said Gwala.
African News Agency