Durban - A 10-year-old boy has been praised for his bravery during a hijacking his Springfield home on Wednesday.
The boy was accosted by armed men who followed his family home and wanted to take his father's vehicle. According to Blue Security's Andreas Mathios, the boy remained calm despite one of the men holding a firearm against his head.
"He was extremely brave and did not show any outward signs of panic but he managed to remain calm throughout the ordeal. His brave response helped to minimise the chance of violent injury to his family during the incident,” Mathios said.
He explained that suspects arrived in a white Nissan and approached the resident.
“The boy got out of the vehicle to open the driveway gates and while he was busy opening the gates, three suspects got out of the white Nissan and approached him. One of the suspects held a firearm to the child’s head. The boy remained absolutely calm while they had the gun to his head. His father and mother got out of the vehicle, and his mother started screaming, which seemed to aggravate the hijackers,” Mathios said.
He said the suspects then forced the child’s father back into the vehicle and made off with the vehicle in the direction of Umlazi.
“The SAPS Flying Squad, Alpha Alarms, Blue Security and the local neighbourhood watch group launched a massive search for the victim who was later found at the Philani Valley Mall in Umlazi where the suspects had dropped him off unharmed,” Mathios said.
The Nissan which was driven by the suspects and the tracking device of the hijacked vehicle were recovered, however the resident’s vehicle was nowhere to be found.
He warned residents to be vigilant when arriving home, especially at night.
“Drive past you property at night and make a u-turn back towards your property to make sure no-one is following you. If you suspect you are being followed drive past your property to your nearest police station and contact your security company for assistance. Make sure your gate area is clear of overgrown shrubs and well-lit up at night so that suspects will not be able to loiter and hide in the shadows undetected,” Mathios said.
On Monday, a Morningside resident was taken during a hijacking in Springfield Park.
It was reported that the suspects had jumped out of the bushes at the side of the road and hijacked three men, taking one victim hostage. The vehicle was later located parked in Intersite Avenue, where the suspects had gone to draw cash at an ATM. The victim was found unharmed, standing outside the vehicle.
In a separate incident, a young woman was hijacked by men who had also hidden in the nearby bushes on Fyfe Road. She was thrown out of the vehicle before the suspects drove off.