Robbers hit retirement facility in Bay

Three elderly patients and a caregiver were held up by robbers who broke into the Lake Farm Residential Home old-age care facility in Chelsea during load-shedding on Thursday.

The robbery happened just after 8pm when four men, armed with a firearm and crowbar, entered the facility next to the Lake Farm Centre.

Assistant manager Michelle Oakley, 52, said the robbery had happened at the highcare facility which houses three elderly people aged 82-98.

“I had just walked to my flat [about 20m from the building] when they struck.

“Five minutes after I left the building the dog inside apparently wanted to go out.

“The nurse let him out and seconds later four men with balaclavas confronted the nurse,” Oakley said.

“They ushered her into the house [communal area] and told her they were not there to hurt anyone.

“The nurse told them the building was not a house, but a place where they looked after sick and elderly people.

“When she told them that the men seemed to be very calm and not aggressive at all.

“They took money out of  the nurse's bag and left R200 behind for her.

“They then went to the three bedrooms in the buildings and stole various small items.”

Oakley said as they were leaving, the men had wanted to remove the wall-mounted television.

“One of the robbers told the group to leave the TV.

“They then just walked out the front door.

“It was all over in five minutes.”

As the robbers fled, the nurse alerted Oakley and she called local neighbourhood watch Farm Comm for help.

 “I think when they realised it was a home for the sick and elderly, it touched a nerve and they felt less threatened.”

Centre resident James Pledger, 98, said the power had just gone out while he was watching TV in the communal lounge area.

The centre operates partly on solar power, so as the power went off emergency lighting in the communal area turned on.

Pledger said he had at first assumed the robbers were maintenance workers.

“They came in and I thought they were here to fix something.

“I was confused as I could not figure out what had gone wrong that they needed to come so late,” he said.

“Only after they left was I told they had robbed us.

“I see they went through the drawers in my room and stole my Brut [aftershave].”

Lark Farm Centre Aid Association chair Richard Gillies, who runs the centre, said some of the residents in the outside flatlets were still unaware of the robbery.

“They [the robbers] were very quick and did not make a scene at all.

“No-one else even knew there was robbery.

“Once we were all alerted, I discovered they had gained entry by taking the perimeter gate off the hinges,” he said.

“We are busy upgrading the security system and cameras, so we are ironically in the process of increasing security.”

Asked about the recent double murder at St John Stella Londt Retirement Centre, Gillies said: “I think they are targeting elderly centres as it is easy.

“This is why we are increasing security.

“There has, however, been a series of robberies recently in the area.

“We are just grateful no-one was hurt.”

Thursday's robbery took place a week after the bodies of Elaine Burns, 91, and Rose Langton, 87, were found gagged and tied up on their beds at the Sunridge Park centre.

While the probe into that robbery is under way, police have confirmed jewellery, wedding rings and Kruger rands were among the items stolen during the robbery-turned-murder.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said detectives were following up information linked to the Lake Farm robbery.

“Leads are being followed.”

Janse van Rensburg confirmed detectives were ascertaining if this gang was linked to similar recent robberies in the area.