Two men appeared in Blue Downs Magistrate’s court on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping on Monday, following an armed robbery at Glengarry Shopping Centre last week.
The two suspects were caught by security officers in Vredekloof last Wednesday (8 June) evening minutes after fleeing the scene of the robbery, after four shots were fired and a store manager taken hostage.
According to Brackenfell police, seven or eight armed men hit the Woolworths store at 19:00. After entering the store they split into two groups and walked in different directions inside the store.
“Two employees noticed their odd behaviour and alerted Basset Security, while monitoring their actions on camera,” says police spokesperson Capt Erica Crous.
“One of the suspects bought food at the deli department and then insisted to see a manager. The food manager went to attend to the complaint and as she reached the suspect another one came up behind her, told her it was an armed robbery and showed her the firearm in a holster on his hip.
“They demanded to be taken to the cash office where they demanded the keys of the safe, which was not on the premises.”
At that point about five more robbers walked into the cash office. From there they emptied the tills and took several employees’ cellphones. While this was happening inside, two armed response units form Basset stopped outside the store, where minutes later chaos ensued.
Seeing the security vehicle outside, the robbers took the food manager hostage and pushed her out of the store with them, a reliable source told TygerBurger.
“When they reached the area in front of the new McDonalds the manager slipped and fell. While the robbers panicked one of the Basset officers managed to reach her, secure her and told her to run back into the store, which she did,” said the source.
“Five of the robbers set off in two getaway cars, a white BMW and a white Mercedes while two ran off on foot.
“The driver of the white BMW fired a shot at one of the security officers and tried to drive over him. The security officer fired four shots at the car, one shattering the back window of the car,” says the source.
Meantime, SJC security officers in nearby Vredekloof reacted and pursued the two robbers who fled on foot.
One was caught in Amanzi Street and the other at a Vredekloof dam. The manager’s cellphone was found on him.
The investigation continues.
