Poisoned child one of three murders
ALEXANDRA – Poisoned child one of three murders and two attempted murders in a week.
Three people were murdered in Alex, including a child who was poisoned; while two victims survived attempted murders.
The incidents occurred separately in the week ending 25 June.
The first murder, according to police spokesperson Captain Allie Kodisang, was of a one-year-old baby who was fed poison, allegedly by the mother at an aunt’s place on 25 June. This was seemingly prompted by a fight between the baby’s parents the previous day at their 11th Avenue home.
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Officers called to the Alex Clinic late in the afternoon found the child already certified dead, wearing a disposable nappy and on a stretcher.
The father was present and told the officers that he was informed by a relative of the baby’s mother about the poisoning and death, and that the mother had been taken to Edenvale Hospital after also taking the poison. He claimed that the mother broke window panes at his house during the fight and threatened to kill the child and herself.
Police were called to his place escorted her to the aunt’s place. It wasn’t specified if she is under police guard in hospital.
The same day at midnight, police attending to the second murder in Ext 9 found paramedics on the scene having declared an unknown male dead. He had severe bleeding from gunshot wounds in the upper body and left armpit. No cartridges were found. The body was taken to a government mortuary.
Details of the third murder were not unspecified at the time of reporting.
A police officer was taken to Life Carstenhof Hospital for treatment for unspecified injuries on 24 June at 3.30am after an attempted murder. The victim and a colleague responded to a shooting scene on 4th Avenue when their vehicle was shot. While waiting for backup, two unknown men approached them as they were writing a statement. One of the men stood behind the vehicle and the other opened the vehicle’s back door and shot at the officers, injuring the victim. The officers returned fire but the suspects escaped.
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The second incident occurred at midnight on the same day, also on 4th Avenue and near the Women’s Hostel. Two officers on patrol reacted to an alert about someone with gunshot injuries lying in the street. He had wounds on the back and chest, and alleged that he was shot by two suspects who confronted him as he was walking home from a tavern.
The suspects allegedly took his cellphone, takkies, wallet and were demanding more money. He tried to run away but was shot. One of the alleged suspects is known to the victim who was taken to hospital for treatment.
It wasn’t specified if arrests were made on any of the incidents.
Details: Alex Police Station 011 321 7718/9.
