Kemtonpark – Three armed hijackers sped off with two toddlers still in the car in an early morning hijacking in Birchleigh North on Thursday.
Waiting for the police to arrive, community members chased after the men and assaulted one of them.
Two men were eventually arrested after the hijackers had abandoned the car at Esselen Park with the children inside.
The three men hijacked the Strydom Street resident at about 7.30am as they were leaving their home.
According to an eyewitness, the man tried to fight the men off, one of whom was armed, but he was hit on the head with a gun.
One of the men then drove off with the two toddlers, a boy and a girl. The exact time the police was called is unknown and it is believed a community member alerted them, but by the time they received the call, the community had already chased down one of the suspects.
“He was caught on Pongolarivier Drive by the community and beaten up,” Capt Lesibana Molokomme, Norkem Park SAPS spokesman, said.
“Police then went to look for the other suspect, who was found on the run in Birchleigh North ext 3.”
In the meanwhile, the suspect who had escaped with the stolen vehicle was spotted by a sector vehicle in Esselen Park. Having already received information that a hijacking had taken place and a blue Honda vehicle was stolen, police turned back to follow the car.
“The suspect probably realised he had been spotted and chose to abandon the car, with the children inside and the car keys still in the ignition, and fled on foot. Police are still searching for him.”
The victim was taken to hospital as he suffered an injury to the head. Luckily, the children, three and four years old, were unharmed.
A hijacking case had been opened and investigations will determine if the gun used was licensed or not. A black City Golf was also found abandoned in a veld in Esselen Park.
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