Busy festive season for cops

STAFF REPORTER

TWO men aged 28 and 18 appeared briefly in the Alexandria Magistrate’s Court on December 21 on charges of rape, house robbery and theft of a motor vehicle in connection with the rape and robbery of a woman at Kariega Game Reserve on December 13.

The two were arrested in a police operation in the Kenton-on-Sea area on December 19 following intense investigations by Port Alfred Crime Intelligence and Kenton-on-Sea detectives.

The pair is accused of breaking into staff quarters at Kariega Game Reserve and robbing and raping a female staff member. They then allegedly ransacked the house and fled in her vehicle, with cellphones and other unidentified items. The vehicle, a sedan, was later found abandoned near Ekuphumleni township.

The case was postponed to January 14 for further investigation and to allow them to apply for legal aid. They were kept in custody.

• Port Alfred police arrested three suspects just a day after they allegedly broke into a house in Kasouga and stole valuable items.

A housebreaking was reported in the area on December 19. A laptop, bicycle, computer and charger, all valued at R34 000, were reported stolen.

After following leads, Lieutenant Colonel Ncamisa Donkrag arrested the suspects in the area and recovered all the stolen items. The suspects, aged between 20 and 23, appeared in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court on housebreaking charges on December 24.

• Bathurst police are investigating a case of house robbery after two men broke into the house of a 70-year-old man and his wife on December 21.

Police spokesman Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula said the incident took place in the early hours of the morning while the couple was asleep. The husband was woken up by noise coming from outside of the house. When he went to investigate he saw someone standing outside. The person shouted, demanding money. The suspect then broke the glass door and gained entry to the house.

A scuffle followed between the man’s wife and the intruder and they fell to the ground. Her husband tried to help her but he was pushed to the ground by a second suspect who had been hiding. The second suspect then headed for the refrigerator and stole a 750ml bottle of whiskey and a five litre box of wine. The victims sustained minor bruises.

"No arrests have been made but police are following leads,” said Mjekula.

• A Somali national was found murdered at his shop in Bathurst on December 22 at about 5.30am. A police constable from Bathurst was called to a crime scene where he found the victim lying on his back in a pool of blood inside the shop.

The shop appeared to have been broken into. It is suspected that unknown items and money could have been taken. Coins and groceries were scattered all over the scene. Police are investigating a case of murder. No suspects have been arrested.

• A 22-year-old woman was allegedly raped in Bathurst on December 22 at about 8.30pm.

It is alleged that the complainant was on her way home when she came across her boyfriend. He allegedly grabbed her by her hand, slapped her and forced her into his house. Inside, he allegedly assaulted her with his fist and kicked her.

After that he allegedly raped her and forced her to spend the night with him. The following day, he took her to Port Alfred where he left her with her aunt. She then told her aunt what had happened and she was given money to go back to Bathurst where she opened a case. The suspect faces a charge of rape.