An alleged robber died under a hail of bullets when the owner of the house he had broken into shot and killed him.
The man's accomplices fled, leaving his bullet-riddled body behind. Neither the homeowner or his wife were injured.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini, the owner, 50, was asleep on Thursday night when he woke up to find four people in his bedroom.
"One of the suspects shot at him and he also returned fire with his licensed firearm. He fired several shots and one of the suspects was fatally shot while three others managed to escape.
"The suspect died at the scene and police seized an unlicensed firearm. Nothing was taken in the house and the owner was not injured. He was taken to the hospital as he was traumatised. Police have launched a manhunt for the other three suspects who fled."
Netcare911's Shawn Herbst said they went to the house around 9.30pm and found a man in his late 20s.
"Reports from the scene indicated that a male in his late twenties and believed to be a suspect in a house robbery sustained a fatal gunshot wound after being shot by an occupant of the house.
"The patient was assessed on scene by an advanced life support paramedic and found to have no signs of life and declared deceased. None of the occupants of the house were injured," he said.
Dlamini said on the very same night, police followed up information of four suspects driving a Hyundai who had allegedly robbed a salon at Bramley.
"They had hijacked a VW Polo whilst they were fleeing from the scene. They also hijacked another vehicle, a BMW at Edenvale then drove towards Tembisa while police were tracking them. The Polo and BMW were found abandoned in Norkem Park.
"The four suspects, who were driving a Hyundai, came across a roadblock in Thembisa where a shootout ensued. One of the suspect was shot and killed and two others arrested. A fourth suspect managed to escape. Stolen cellphones, perfumes, a laptop and an unlicensed firearm were seized and their gateway vehicle impounded."
Dlamini said the man who escaped was an ex-convict who had just been released on parole.
Police are still searching for him.