Cape Town – Three cyclists, including a couple, are still shaken after they were held at gunpoint and robbed of a bicycle in Hood Road, Belgravia.
Four suspects allegedly assaulted one of them with a brick to the face, breaking his nose and cheekbone.
Mahdi Kariem, 58, said they were cycling along the road on Saturday morning when two of the suspects pretended to be joggers.
“When we reached them, two others came out of the woods and started throwing bricks at us. Unfortunately, our friend was hit and my wife was held at gunpoint.
’’As I tried to assist my wife, they pointed the gun at me and pushed her off the bicycle. One of them escaped on the bicycle and three others fled into the nearby informal settlement.”
“The area is a robbery hot spot and I’m always vigilant, but when we saw the men jogging we didn’t think they would rob us.
’’Some people later came to my house and said the suspects want R1 500 to release the bicycle,” said Kariem.
Pedal Power Association (PPA) chairperson Stephen Hayward said: “It’s tragic that these incidents happen and are on the increase. The only thing we can recommend is for people to use busy routes in numbers and spread out.”
In an unrelated incident, a firefighter was robbed of a radio while at a fire call in Khayelitsha on Friday night. This occurred when Lansdowne Road Fire crews were attending to an informal structure fire in Bangiso Street, Victoria Mxenge.
It is believed that the driver of the fire engine was approached by a man who pointed a gun at him and robbed him of a portable radio.
Anyone with information about these incidents can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211, alternatively use the MySAPS App.
Cape Times