GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Once again there were many crimes reported in the Graaff-Reinet area during the past week.
The most concerning in many ways is one of sexual assault, which took place on 10 November between 08:45 and 16:15.
According to the complainant, her daughter, a toddler, was touched on her genitals by the suspect, who is unknown to the child. The incident took place during a function at a public park. No more details can be given due to the sensitivity of the case.
There were three cases of malicious damage to property:
The first incident happened on 3 November at 23:00 at Midland Hospital. It is alleged that the suspect entered the hospital and stole a cell phone from a patient, and then went out through a back door of the hospital after damaging the lock. The suspect is unknown. The value of the phone is R500.
On 9 November at 19:55, the complainant in the second case was at work when his wife contacted him to say that she was in a fight with another woman at their home in Kroonvale. It is alleged that the boyfriend of the offender tried to intervene, and in the process broke two doors to the value of R1800. No arrests have yet been made.
Car windows were damaged in Asherville after someone threw stones at the vehicle on 10 November at about 22:00. The damage amount to R500. The suspect is known, but not yet arrested.
There were also three unrelated cases of fraud:
The first incident took place at the SASSA offices in Market Square on 1 November at about 09:00. According to the complainant, the company 1 Life was deducting money from her account without her permission. A total sum of R4320.00 had been deducted.
At about 19:20 on 7 November, a man was about to withdraw money from the ABSA ATM outside Spar in Caledon Street when an unknown man distracted him, cloning the complainant’s card in the process. R5000 was withdrawn.
According to the complainant in the third case, he lost his retail card and on 9 November at about 15:13, an unknown suspect went and bought clothing to the value of R2070 with it at the store in Caledon Street.
This week again, there were four cases of theft out of a motor vehicle opened:
The first incident took place in Bourke Street between 20:00 on 8 November and 02:20 the next morning. The suspect or suspects broke the back window of the vehicle to gain entry and stole clothing and building materials to the value of R5000.
Sometime between 00:45 and 09:45 on the morning of 6 November, canned foods were stolen from a truck parked in Church Street. According to the complainant, he parked to get some rest before continuing with his journey. He did not notice anything wrong with the truck when he set off again, and only when he reached his destination, he found that the goods had been stolen from the truck.
The driver had not stopped anywhere between Graaff-Reinet and his destination. The value of stolen goods amounts to R900. It was found that the tarpaulin on the back of the truck had been cut to gain access to the cargo.
During the period from 9:30 on 2 November and the same time on 7 November, an amplifier worth R800 was stolen out of a vehicle in Asherville. Entrance was gained through the boot that was not locked.
The final incident of this nature took place on 10 November between 14:00 and 15:20 in Market Square. According to the complainant, his vehicle was parked in front of Hotel de Graaff, and when he later came back to the vehicle, he discovered that a toolbox, lucern pump and television meter were missing, with a total value of R8 6000.
There were also another five cases of theft:
Poles were stolen over a period between 17:00 on 7 November and 08:00 on 9 November from the local SPCA. The value of the poles amounts to R10 000.
On 10 November at 11:45, according to the complainant, the suspect entered Lewis Stores and went straight to his (the complainant’s) desk, took his cellphone and ran out of the shop. The value of the cell phone is R2800.
The next incident took place on 9 November between 06:30 and 16:00 in Nieu-Bethesda. According to the complainant, he had four and a half bags of feed for sheep at his home. When he later returned, he found one of the bags, valued at R240, missing.
On 11 November between 09:00 and 10:00, in Sunnyside, the complainant was asleep, but then he woke up hearing running footsteps. He got up to investigate and found that his cell phone, worth R1 000, was missing.
In another incident at the SPCA, this time between 9 November and 12 November, a pole was dug out of the ground, worth about R150.
There were two business burglaries and one attempted burglary:
In the first case, the complainant left his shop in Church Street on 10 November at 14:30 and everything was in order. Upon his return the next morning at 08:30, he noticed that the shop had been broken into and sweets, biscuits and cigarettes had been stolen, with a total value of R2935.
On 10 November at 17:00, the complainant closed his container in Market Square, from which he sells hair extensions. The next morning, at about 06:00, he was informed that the container had been broken into. On his arrival, he noticed that hair products, hair extensions and material for dressmaking were missing. The value of stolen items amounts to R34 150.
The complainant in the third case was more fortunate. The incident took place in Umasizakhe on 12 November at about 01:54, when, according to the complainant, someone broke a window to gain entrance to the property. Nothing was stolen in this case.
The last two cases in Graaff-Reinet were residential burglaries:
The first took place between 9 November at 13:00 and 11 November at 07:00 in Asherville.
According to the complainant, she was away and had left everything locked and in order, but upon her return, she found groceries, hairdryers, a television, and clothing missing. The total value of the stolen items is R8100.
Between 07:00 on 28 October and 17:30 on 11 November, entrance to a house in Reinet Park was gained through a front window broken by the suspect or suspects. Electrical equipment, a cell phone and a watch were stolen, worth R6 500.
Willowmore
There were four cases reported from Willowmore, the most serious of which is the rape of a child.
This took place over a period of time, from November 2016 until October 2017, with the first incident happening when the child was only 10 years old. A teacher was the first to realise that there was something wrong with the child, who was then taken to hospital for examination. A suspect has been arrested. No more details may be given, in order to protect the child.
There were two cases of residential burglary reported. The first took place at 20:00 on 19 September at Erwe. According to the complainant, when he arrived at his home, he found the suspect inside the house. Items to the value of R950 were stolen, and the suspect has been arrested.
In the second incident, the complainant left his home in Steenbok Street at 18:30 on 5 November. On his return at 21:45, he found the padlock unlocked and upon further investigation, found his two bicycles stolen. The value of the bicycles is R1300.
The final Willowmore case is one of fraud. On 1 November at about 09:47, the complainant’s social grant of R1 600 was withdrawn by an unknown suspect at the Postal Services. The case is under investigation.
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