Youths nabbed for phone robbery
KEW – Two women robbed at gunpoint on their way home from a spaza shop.
Three Alex youths aged 22, 23 and 25 were remanded in custody by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court pending further investigation into an incident in which two women were robbed of their cellphones and other items.
The court heard that at about 7.30pm on 12 March this year, the accused allegedly stole the items from the victims on the corner of 9th Road and 2nd Avenue in Kew while they were walking home from a spaza shop.
It is alleged they were confronted by three men and that one pointed a gun at the victims and demanded their belongings. The court heard that another grabbed a Nokia Blackberry from one victim and forced her to the ground. He allegedly searched her for other items, which were not specified, before he ran away towards 10th Avenue, Alexandra. The victim realised that her companion was being searched by the third robber, who took her Vodaphone while the armed accomplice pointed the gun at her. The gunman and thief also ran away.
Minutes later, a motorist who had witnessed the incident, informed police he found at the corner of 10th Avenue and Vincent Tshabalala Road of the two robbers who were heading towards them. The police apprehended them, searched them and one phone and gun were allegedly found on them.
The victims were tracked and they identified the accused as the alleged robbers. The two then led the police to the third accomplice at his 15th Avenue home where they allegedly retrieved the other stolen phone and the victims’ other belongings. The firearm was sent for forensic testing and was found to be a toy gun.
