Robber targeting elderly who live alone

File photo

File photo

Published Feb 4, 2016

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Johannesburg - He is in his twenties, 1.6m tall and slender. As he watches his elderly victims, he learns their schedule and strikes when he believes no one is home.

This is how the police describe a man who has been breaking into homes and terrorising his elderly victims over the past month in the Mondeor area.

“He is specifically targeting elderly people. His victims are from the age of 60 upwards who are staying alone in their homes,” said Mondeor police spokeswoman Constable Elizabeth Mnguni.

“He gets on to their premises and robs them of food, cellphones, sunglasses and cash,” she said, warning that he was violent.

Mnguni was unable to give the exact number of cases that had taken place so far, but emphasised there had been “quite a few”, which was what prompted the warning.

“We are concerned and the challenge we are facing here is that he has come back to rob some of his victims a second time.

“Many of his victims are traumatised and, in some cases, they don’t even want to speak to the police,” she said.

She said the police were appealing to the elderly to change their routine as the suspect seemed to know their schedule.

“We are also aware that all the targeted victims usually give food to beggars who come to their homes and the suspect seems to know this.”

Mondeor police are also appealing to the community to keep a watchful eye on their elderly neighbours living in houses.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Glenvista Community Policing Forum (CPF) advised members of the public, especially the elderly, not to leave their keys near the door and to keep their doors locked, adding that if they had a panic button, they should keep it on.

“Tell them not to engage with anyone at the gate or give out any information that might lead him to believe they are alone,” Glenvista CPF said.

This is not the first time such incidents have happened in and around Joburg South.

According to the Glenvista CPF, in 2014 there was a person operating from Columbine Avenue to Vorster Avenue in Glenanda.

“He would call the elderly resident to say there was a dead cat or animal outside their house and then jump the wall and attack if they opened.

“We surmised he was targeting along Columbine and Vorster Avenue as he was catching taxis in and out of the area,” it added.

@Lanc_02

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