Cape Town - One of the men suspected of murdering Port Elizabeth teacher Jayde Panayiotou might have been involved in two other crimes in the area.
According to HeraldLive, the suspect has been on the run for two months after the hijacking of a pregnant woman from the underground parking at the Greenacres shopping centre. The man was reportedly out on bail for a hijacking case in KwaNobuhle when the Greenacres incident occurred.
Panayiotou was reportedly abducted from outside her complex in Kabega Park in Port Elizabeth early on Tuesday morning.
Her body was found in an isolated area near KwaNobuhle on Wednesday morning.
Police said a post mortem would indicate the cause of death.
On Wednesday a photo of a man police are calling a “person of interest” started doing the rounds on social media.
According to HeraldLive, the photo is a screengrab of ATM footage.
It was previously reported that two men withdrew money from Panayiotou’s bank account
Police have confirmed that the man is wanted for questioning, but deny he is a suspect in the murder investigation, an online report said.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg was quoted as saying: “He is a person of interest and we believe he can assist us with the investigation into this matter.”
Panayiotou taught Grade 4 to Grade 7 at Riebeek College Girls' High School in Uitenhage.
HeraldLive reports that her family, friends, students and colleagues were distraught after hearing the news that her body had been found.
“It is unbearable to even come to terms with the events of the past two days pertaining to Mrs Panayiotou's kidnapping and death. Never could any of us had thought that such a thing would happen to such a delightful and beautiful soul,” read one of the tributes on the school’s website.
IOL