Durban - A WOMAN was throttled until she lost consciousness and another had her jewellery ripped off during house robberies in Chatsworth in the past two days.
In College Drive yesterday, an 81-year-old woman was attacked by two men known to her.
According to a crime report from Pro-Secure armed response, two men who possibly previously rented a room on the property, returned claiming to have left a cellphone at her home.
The men attacked the woman and began throttling her. She fell to the ground during the struggle. It is thought the men assumed she was dead and then took the jewellery off her wrist and neck and fled.
When the woman came to, she phoned a relative for help. Neighbours were shocked on hearing of the attack. They said the woman put up an intense struggle inside the home.
Amawele Emergency Services spokesperson Sivan Subramodey said the woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for shock.
Yesterday’s incident came a day after a Chatsworth family were held up in their home. The homeowner, who did not want to be named, said a group of men barged into the home and forced the five family members to the ground at gunpoint. The men had derailed the driveway gate to get into the property. The men demanded jewellery, cash and cellphones. They forced the jewellery off a 77-year-old woman, including her wedding ring.
“They forced off her necklace. They hit a relative on the head with agun butt. They pushed us into the bathroom, locked the door and took the key. We were screaming for help to alert neighbours. We had to break the door open to get out,” he said.
The robbers also accessed the outbuilding where a relative lived and stole a television and cellphone. A teenager hid in the bathroom during the incident. The robbers bundled some of the goods into the owner’s car and drove off. The vehicle was recovered minus the stolen items in Lamontville shortly after the robbery.
The victim from the outbuilding said she had screamed for help once the men left. “I was hysterical. We read about this happening to others, but I did not think we would become victims one day. I crouched down in the bathroom and in my mind I was saying ‘Please God, save me’. They could have attacked and raped me if they found me. I am only 18 and have my whole life ahead of me. We could not sleep last night. My brother is also writing examinations and could not concentrate. They held a gun to his head. He is only 16,” the woman said.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said three robbers entered the premises through an unlocked door. “At gunpoint, the suspects robbed them of cellphones, TV sets and cash and fled in the complainant’s vehicle,” he said.