An elderly Chatsworth woman was brutally murdered and her husband is fighting for his life in hospital after a horrific attack by armed robbers, who pretended to be property buyers and beguiled the couple into allowing them into their home on Wednesday night.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said the gang had approached the couple at their Silverglen Road home telling them that an estate agent had sent them to view their property, which is currently on the market. The incident occurred at around 7.15pm.
“The gang named a legitimate estate agent who works for a reputable estate agency and that’s what led to the couple letting down their guard and allowing the men into the home. They sat down and had an informal discussion with the couple about the property before the men revealed their true intentions and pulled out knives and attacked them,” Mathios said.
“The woman was stabbed repeatedly in the back and the neck and died in the bathroom. Her husband was stabbed but managed to crawl to a panic button and call for help. ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene and transported him to hospital in a critical condition, where he is fighting for his life.”
Mathios said it was unclear what was stolen from the property. The four suspects remain at large.
Chatsworth SAPS attended the scene of the crime.
Mathios advised home owners to be vigilant and to guard against this new modus operandi to avoid falling prey to criminal gangs. “Unfortunately, the gang had calculatedly planned the crime, done its homework and obtained the name of a legitimate estate agent that they had used to deceive the unsuspecting couple. It is never a good idea to invite strangers into your home and even if they come with a legitimate sounding reason first take the time to check out whether their story is legitimate, before opening the front door. Contact the estate agent and find out what’s going on, ” Mathios said.
“If your home is for sale and a potential buyer comes to the door to the door wanting to view, only allow them in if they come with a known estate agent and by prior appointment. Most estate agents worth their salt will also have done some basic homework in checking out buyers to make sure they are legitimately interested in purchasing a property before they show them properties on their books.”
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