Johannesburg - The distressing screams of an 8-year-old boy whose mother was being assaulted by her boyfriend led to the discovery of suspected stolen items, including guns, phones and watches, at two houses on Sunday.
The police found 11 firearms and more than 245 rounds of ammunition neatly packed inside a home-made drawer in the base of a mattress in Naledi, Soweto. They also found 22 expensive watches, cellphones, 10 pairs of sunglasses, nine holsters and an undisclosed amount of money in the couple’s backyard room.
While police were at the house in Tsamaiso Street, they got a tip-off, which led them to a house in Alexandra, where a 43-year-old man was arrested. They seized 58 valuable watches, three rifles, three digital cameras and ammunition.
They would not say if the two incidents were linked.
“When we left Soweto in the afternoon, we knew exactly where to go. We knew we were going to find guns at this particular house and exactly who we were looking for,” said Moroka cluster commander Major-General Fred Kekana.
In the morning, police vehicles, marked and unmarked, outside the four-roomed house in Naledi had caused curiosity. Neighbours and passers-by gathered as crime intelligence members and the K9 dog unit arrived.
The boy’s 29-year-old mother, who had a bruised and swollen face, assisted police with gathering information.
She was later charged with possession of a firearm, ammunition and stolen property, after she confessed to police she was aware of the goods kept in the backroom.
The woman had been renting in the yard for five years and her boyfriend had joined her about five months ago. It is understood that the couple are originally from Alexandra.
The pair had got into an altercation in the early hours of Sunday.
Police were alerted by a concerned neighbour.
The woman had told them she was a victim of domestic violence.
When he saw the police, the woman’s boyfriend jumped the perimeter wall of the property and escaped. But he dropped his gun.
Police became suspicious and called for back-up.
They immediately searched the room.
After her arrest, the girlfriend was driven away in a police vehicle. She later returned with the police and continued to assist them with their investigation.
The woman was expected to appear in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The boyfriend’s silver Audi A3, which did not have registration plates, was taken away by police officers as part of their investigation.
“Police are busy profiling him (the boyfriend). We understand he is linked to three cases, which include business and house robberies in Soweto and Sandton,” Kekana.