Warmbaths – Three residents of Bela Bela were attacked last weekend presumably by the same knife wielding robbers. They were attacked in their town homes in three different attacks.
Johan van der Merwe, Jaco Maritz and Charles Duggan were all attacked and stabbed by robbers with knives in their homes on Saturday, January 31, 2015.
All three men had serious wounds and the robbers, who are still at large, disappeared with items they had stolen. Bela-Bela police were trying to follow information that robbers would presumably strike at the Forever Resorts Warmbaths staff housing units. The robbers however evaded the police. Shortly thereafter the first attack began.
Johan van der Merwe
Van der Merwe was at High school Warmbaths housing units at the hostel that night. His father, Johan senior, a teacher at the school, was not at home. Spikkels de Wet, the head of the school, told Die Pos that neighbors suddenly heard Van der Merwe scream for help. He was attacked in the living room of his father’s house after someone supposedly came through the sliding door.
“There was a lot of blood. Johan apparently fought back against his attackers and got stabbed in the battle. The attackers got away“, De Wet said.
He said Van der Merwe, who was stabbed four times in his stomach, still had enough power to climb into his pickup truck and went to seek medical help.
It is suspected that after the attack the robbers climbed over the school’s fence and ran off. De Wet says the police, who acted swiftly, found Van der Merwe’s stolen property near the Roodepoort Road.
Van der Merwe was taken to a medical-care unit in Polokwane where he is recovering.
The other two attacks occurred shortly thereafter.
Jaco Maritz
Maritz and a friend spent the evening at Tuin Tuiste (right next to Warmbaths Primary School sports ground). On the same day they attended his sister Janette’s wedding outside Bela-Bela. Hans Maritz, Maritz’s father, said the robbers broke into the apartment about 03:00 on Sunday morning while they slept. He woke up when they came in.
Jaco Maritz confronted the robbers and got stabbed repeatedly with a knife. “They wanted to kill him there is no doubt about it. Jaco made sure no one else in the house gets hurt and fought them off until they left”, said Hans.
Jaco’s friend was not injured.
Jaco was hastily transferred to the Muelmed Hospital in Pretoria because he lost a lot of blood. He was admitted to the intensive care unit. Hans says his son was stabbed in the lungs, stomach and in the face. He will hopefully be transferred soon to a regular ward.
The third attack happened about three houses later.
Charles Duggan
Charles Duggan also woke up the night when he heard something by his sliding door. He also was attacked with a knife. Col. Lindie Marx, the new Bela-Bela police station commander, visited all three scenes. She told Die Pos Duggan had apparently confronted the suspects and a scuffle ensued.
She says he told his wife to fetch his gun while trying to fend off the robbers. “The robbers stabbed him in the chest before fleeing. Fortunately, the blade struck his breast bone and not his heart. It would have been fatal. He is very lucky “Marx said.
Duggan got stitches and the same night and was discharged from hospital. He could not be reached for comment.
Marx says that she made a promise to Maritz at the crime scene that they will apprehend the attackers.
“I have no doubt that the same attackers are responsible for all three attacks. We have clues that the forensic unit is working on to identify the attackers. We are determined to find them quickly and apprehend them “Marx said.
No one has been arrested.
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