GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The number of cases opened by Graaff-Reinet SAPS last week remained at a high level, with 32 new cases.
One case of murder and one of rape have been covered in separate articles elsewhere on this page.
Once again, there was a preponderance of property-related crimes.
As well as the rape, there was also a case of attempted rape.
• The incident took place at 03:30 on 9 December, in Kroonvale. According to the victim, a 35-year-old woman, she was woken by her ex-boyfriend regarding their son being in the street. At this point the woman realised that someone was lying behind her, pressing against her body. When she turned around, she found a man, known to her, and asked him what he was doing. He did not reply, but got up, pulled up his trousers and left the house. How the man had gained entry to the premises is unknown.
There were ten new cases of theft this week.
• According to the complainant in the first case, the suspect was at her (the complainant’s) home at about 10:30 on 30 November.
The suspect allegedly went to the bathroom to fetch water, but never came back. Later on, the complainant discovered that her jewellery, worth R2 000, was missing. The suspect is known to complainant, but has not yet been arrested.
• The second incident took place at 03:00 on 2 December in Asherville. According to the complainant, her cellphone, with a value of R1 500, was taken from her bedroom by an unknown suspect.
• A laptop went missing while two friends were drinking at a tavern in Goedhals Square on 29 November. The friends met at 17:00, and it was after a few hours that the complainant noticed that his laptop (worth R7 000) was missing.
• The next incident was on 4 December between 17:20 and 18:30, when the complainant’s cell phone was stolen while he was visiting with three of his female friends in uMasizkahe. The value of the phone is R1 999
• The complainant in another case reports that shade netting to the value of R3 000 was stolen from his business premises in Murray Street on 2 December soon after midnight.
• Another incident in town took place in West Street, between 20:27 on 7 December and 09:00 the next morning. According to the complainant, the suspect or suspects gained entry to his property by climbing over the security gate. A bicycle to the value of R6 500 was stolen from the backyard.
• In an incident in Umasizakhe, the complainant was informed at about 06:00 on 25 November that his television, a kitchen cupboard, and shoes, all to the value of R15 200, were stolen from outside his girlfriend’s house. His furniture was standing outside the house at the time.
• At 14:00 on 9 December, the complainant was patrolling and discovered that some of his fencing, to the value of R850 had been stolen from alongside the N9 towards Aberdeen.
• Shade netting to the value of R5 000 was allegedly taken between 11:00 on 8 December and 07:30 on 10 December from a property in Albertyn Street.
• In another incident, netting was stolen from a property in Murray Street between 17:00 on 10 December and 08:00 the next morning.
There were two cases of house robbery during the period.
• At 04:20 on 9 December, the complainant woke up when she heard a door opening and closing. Her husband went to look and during this time one of the suspects (who also lives with the complainant) closed the bedroom door.
A little later, her husband re-entered the bedroom, followed by the second suspect. The woman saw him pull out a knife from his pocket, and he demanded their television. The suspect took the television, valued at R8 400, and left the premises. One suspect has been arrested. Fortunately, neither the complainant nor her husband sustained any injuries.
• According to the complainant in the second case, he was socialising with his friends at his home in Umasizakhe when the suspect entered the premises with a knife. The suspect went straight to the complainant’s bedroom and took his clothing and sneakers. When the complainant asked the suspect what he was doing, the suspect threatened him with the knife. The value of the clothing is R900. The suspect has not yet been arrested.
• A woman was robbed in a public street in Cypress Grove on 3 December at 15:25. She was walking along when the suspects came up to her, held a knife to her neck and robbed her of R200 cash.
• A business burglary took place in Kroonvale during the morning of 5 December. According to the complainant, the back door of his shop was forced open and an amount of R1 100 in cash, as well as groceries to the value of R6 000, were stolen. Two suspects have been arrested.
Five residential burglaries were reported last week.
• The first incident took place at Asherville on 2 December at about 04:00. According to the complainant, she was asleep but woke up when she heard a noise inside the house. She went to investigate and saw someone, but the suspect ran away. The suspect did, however, come back to the house later, and this time he stole sneakers to the value of R2 500.
• According to the complainant in the second case, the suspect removed a cover from the window to gain entrance to the home in Umasizakhe, and left again by opening the door from the inside. The suspect or suspects took shoes, cell phones and cash, with a total value of R4 000.
• The complainant in the next case left his house (also in Umasizakhe) at 18:00 on 9 December, and on his return at 05;20 the next morning, he found that the lock on his door was broken and clothing, groceries and shoes to the value of R2 500 had been stolen.
• There was another break-in in Umasizakhe during the night of 9 December. According to the complainant, he was at his mother’s house from 18:00 on 9 December, and at 05:20 the next morning, his sister came to inform him that there was a break-in at his home. A television and DVD player were stolen to the value of R1 860.
• In the last residential burglary, the complainant alleges that, between 16:00 on 7 December and 07:50 on 10 December, the suspect or suspects forced open a reinforced security door to a property in Ryneveld Square. They stole a black generator, as well as the door that had been damaged, the total value of which is R14 699.
Burglary with intent unknown is the case opened after an incident last weekend in Umasizakhe. According to the complainant, the suspect broke into her house by forcefully removing a board from the window. The suspect was found inside the premises, and when asked what he was doing, he could not give a proper answer. He has been arrested.
There were four thefts involving motor vehicles.
• The first case, of attempted theft out of a motor vehicle, was opened after the rubber seal around the back window of a bakkie was removed. According to the complainant, he parked his vehicle at 23:10 on 5 December on the pavement in front of his house in Cypress Grove. At 06:20 the next morning, he found that the rubber had been removed. Nothing was stolen from the vehicle, but the damage caused by removing the rubber amounts to R4 000.
• According to the complainant in the next case, a suspect or suspects removed padlocks from his trailer and stole clothing, shoes, sports equipment, and a gazebo, with a combined value R50 000. The incident took place during the period between 21: on 9 December and 07:00 the next morning in North St.
• A vehicle was parked behind a locked gate at a guest house in West St at 20:30 on 8 December. The next morning when the family got ready to leave, they found one of the bicycles that had been cable tied to the vehicle had been removed. The value of the bicycle is R6 500.
• It is unknown to the complainant in the last case how the suspect or suspects gained entry to his premises to steal six rims with tyres from trailers that were standing in the yard. The total value is R60 000.
Two cases of malicious damage to property were opened.
• The first incident took place at 20:00 on 4 December in Kroonvale. According to the complainant, the suspect damaged her property by throwing motor oil at the walls of her property. He also removed some carpet from the home and broke some dishes, causing damage estimated at R400. The suspect has been arrested.
• In the other case, which occurred between 14:00 on 8 December and 12:10 on 9 December, in Market Square, the complainant found a burglar gate had been opened. Two toilet bases had been broken, as well as a basin and a few tiles. The cost to repair the damage is R1 500.
• In a case of stock theft at the farm De Nek, which occurred between 17:00 on 8 December and 07:00 the next morning, the complainant found 15 Angora goats had been removed from the grazing camp. The goats were chased to Riemvasmaak where they were slaughtered, with the skins left at the scene. The total value of the stolen goats is R22 500.
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