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Thanks to a Tracker signal, Maria Araujo was safe and sound while three of her four hijackers had been arrested on Chris Hani Road in Soweto. One of the suspects was shot in a foot, and another is being sought by the police. Photo: Antoine de Ras
Maria Araujo was waiting outside a Kensington, Joburg, house at 7.50pm for her 14-year-old daughter Michelle to finish a guitar lesson.
But as Michelle walked down the driveway, she saw her mother being shoved into the back seat of their car by three men, who then sped off. She called her father immediately.
An hour later, thanks to a Tracker signal, her mother was found on Chris Hani Road (formerly Old Potch Road) in Soweto just past Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. The three men who had hijacked her were in handcuffs and in the custody of the Soweto Flying Squad.
On Thursday night, two hours after Araujo was rescued, the 45-year-old mother-of-two from Tulisa Park recalled her ordeal.
Sitting in her husband’s car, just metres away from two of the three arrested suspects, she said: “I was just thinking about my family. So many things go through your mind, but you just prepare yourself. You just ask God to forgive you for all your sins.”
She added that when an Audi cut in front of her and the three men jumped out, she knew something was amiss.
Maria Araujo. Photo: Antoine de Ras
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She had jumped out of the car, telling the men to take her vehicle – a black BMW 320d. But they shoved her onto the back seat, covered her eyes and sped off.
When they got into the car, one of the men took the two chains around Araujo’s neck and her cellphone, and piled her other belongings into a bag.
“You never think it will happen to you. The driver kept on telling me ‘don’t worry, we will drop you off, don’t worry we will drop you off’. I told him ‘just drop me off here, my daughter is just here’.
“But then they got angry and swore at me and told me to shut up,” she recalled.
“The driver kept on telling me ‘Don’t look at me, I’m not your friend’. But as I peeped at him, I could see that he was so young.”
Araujo remembers how the men were constantly on the phone, talking to someone.
“I suppose it was the guy driving the Audi. He must have been following us wherever we went. My eyes were covered until we got here. All of a sudden the car stopped, they opened the car doors and just ran.”
But when the three hijackers fled from the car, the police were on their tails.
In the chase, one of the three suspects was shot in a foot.
While police officers chased after the men, a woman with two small children, who was driving past and saw the commotion, stopped her car and helped Araujo.
She called Araujo’s husband and waited with her until he arrived.
Araujo’s husband Leonel said he was at his wits’ end when his daughter phoned him.
“My first reaction was to call Tracker because I knew there was a tracker fitted on the car. I knew that was the only way she could be found… When I called Tracker, I just vloeked (swore) at everyone, saying ‘find my wife’.”
About 15 minutes after his daughter’s distress call, Leonel was on his way to pick up his 14-year-old daughter when he got a call that his wife had been found on Chris Hani Road.
“The police and Tracker were great… But God was with me. God was definitely with me,” Araujo said. - The Star
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Anonymous, wrote
When I was hi-jacked and a gun was held to my head I didn't pray. So why bible bash everyone here with your God? Im sorry but you force your religon on people but won't listen to them is quite unfair
Matrix, wrote
For those people who doubt the existence of God, who do you think created you? God is the Creator and we are the created. Just think about that for a minute.
liz, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
Why this should have to turn into a religious debate is beyond me.I found myself in the same situation as Maria in May last year. Unfortunately for me, the hijackers removed me from my vehicle and took me with them in another vehicle, and held me "hostage" for about 90 minutes while the tracker was being disabled in my vehicle. I have never been so terrified in my life, but believe that I survived, thankfully unharmed, through the power of prayer, because I have never prayed so hard in my life as I did that night! I would never wish such an experience on anyone, and hope that those who pass comments such as these are never faced with such a situation. Maria, I strongly urge you to get counselling and do whatever it takes to get through this. I know exactly how you are feeling now, and you have my sympathy. I was on my way to fetch my sons that night and never arrived, the fear that they and my husband also went through was unimaginable and we are still dealing with it today. I wish you all strength!
Anonymous, wrote
Aside from debating on whether God exists or not, lets just be happy the lady is fine and 3 of the 4 losers are in police custody- for however short a period that may be. Good for that lady for having a belief that made her feel safe in a situation that scary. Just because others may not believe in God that was still something she felt comfort in, that will help her recover from this shocking event. All in all everyone who was involved did good and that's all that matters. Just face it that religious people will argue for God and Atheists will argue against him, this will never end so why try and convert everyone to their opposing beliefs. Just be happy with your beliefs and the beliefs of others and no conflict need occur.
Anonymous, wrote
@HEIN YOU ARE AN ID10T RATHER GO AND JOIN A FAR DIASTANT POLAR COLONY AND DO HUMANITY A FAVOUR
Hein, wrote
If god loved her so much, why did he let the hijacking happen in the first place? If you really think there is a loving god that will, if anything like this happens to you, just pray; don't phone the police or Tracker.
Anonymous, wrote
The Bible has a name for those who say there is no God (Pslam 14:1). For those who don't have a Bible, let me quote Psalm 14:1: FOOLS SAY TO THEMSELVES, "THERE IS NO GOD".
barratt, wrote
To the people who are mocking God ever stop to think for even one minute where they may be going when they leave the precious gift given to them?Hell is a real place,no parties with your friends or even Satan!God takes care of even you blasphemers,uses you for His good works whether you know it or not.Because He is a good God He cannot possibly harm His children,he merely allows events to happen for us to learn who to turn to. Who do you cry out to when you are in trouble?Oh yes,"God help me"you say...he will and does, but unfortunately you are selfish and mean to your fellow beings by mocking them for knowing the truth.Oh well, sadly you are already dead in your spirit.By the way,who do you think feeds the birds?
Simon Fourie, wrote
Kevin and the rest - one day you will have a gun shoved in your face and, believe me, you will pray.
Anonymous, wrote
To all those who have nasty comments,the person in question happens to be my sister,yes I do beleive that God is with her as he is with me 10.0000 km away.And if I may quoate my brother "we walk by faith and not by sight." @Goro get help fast,you must be a very sick man. Many thanks to the SAPS and the tracking company.
Kevin, wrote
Anne. Tracker and the flying squad were guided by an electronic signal from the tracker unit fitted to the car, not God.
allan, wrote
Kimberley, wrote
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending - who knows what could have happened if her daughter had not seen the incident take place to be able to alert her father! Well done to tracker and the flying squad. I hope the family receives trauma counseling.
Precious, wrote
So very glad she is safe, but this is so traumatic. And for all those who do not believe there is a God, so sad for you. But if God wants you he will call you one day, be ready.
Anne, wrote
God is great and He is a living God. You people that question His existence need to go and find some faith and do it fast. God puts us through things in our lives, God guided and helped the tracker people and SAPS to find her and save her. Thank you God for what you have done!have a great and safe weekend peeps
Asanda sandza, wrote
@Goro, i tend to feel ur sentiments brother but the way you came across was hypocritical. Yes pre 94 it was tough and yes the oppression gone made it harder for black people but come on hommie u oughta know a hustle aint blood hustle. If u are truly a man then u gets out thurr! and get paid, but that dont mean at another person's expense..... i work in a call centre and i get paid peanuts but damn im man enough to handle that and grind harder to open my own business, y dont they?
TigerLily, wrote
Well said ET1. Free will means people can still do rubbish. Without free will we'd be zombies. I don't think God intended for us to be zombies.
ET1, wrote
Good work by the police and tracking company. Always good to have good news like this too. @Psyagra - Dude, why does it bother you when people "bring God into it". If you believe, you believe; if you don't, you don't. We all have free will, and it's what people do with their free will that matters. It wasn't God who hijacked the car, but people. And yes, bad things still happen to good people, but if people still believe despite this, good on them!
Thully, wrote
This story is pretty said, I can imagine what that poor woman is going to go through thinking about what happened to her. Thank God that he created us to serve and to protect people. Thumbs up to the Tracker and SAPS.
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