A Reservoir Hills woman had a miraculous escape during a home invasion when an armed robber’s gun apparently jammed as he tried to shoot her, not once, not twice but thrice outside her home on 24 April 2018.
Blue Security community and media liaison officer Andreas Mathios said the woman had heard noises outside her Karley Close home this afternoon and she went outside to investigate. “A suspect armed with a firearm ambushed her and pointed his weapon at her, ordering her to go back inside the house. The woman refused to comply, angering her assailant, who threatened to shoot her. He pulled the trigger three times and nothing happened,” Mathios said.
“A fight then broke out between the intruders and the woman before they overpowered her and went into the house. They grabbed three cellphones and fled the scene quickly because the resident was screaming to alert her neighbours to the incident,” Mathios said.
Mathios said the woman sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Sydenham SAPS attended the scene of the crime.
Mathios advised residents not to investigate suspicious noises and activity on their properties to avoid a confrontation with suspects who could be armed and dangerous. “If you notice any suspicious movement or sounds in your garden or out in the street, rather contact your security company and the police to come out and investigate,” Mathios said.
“Fortunately, in this case the resident the resident was lucky to survive the incident with only minor injuries but if the suspect had managed to fire his firearm as intended she might not have lived,” Mathios said. “Rather call for help and lock yourself in a ‘safe room’ such as a bathroom which has been pre-prepared with a remote panic button and a spare cellphone. It’s advisable also not to use the main bedroom as a safe room because criminals tend to perceive it as a place where valuables may be kept and are known to smash the door to gain entry.”
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