A 44-year-old man who was hitch-hiking in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, managed to escape death after being robbed over the weekend by the people in the car that offered him a ride.
Five robbers in a Hyundai Tucson SUV allegedly pretended to be helping the hitchhiker by giving him a lift, but their true goal was to rob him, according to the police.
They declined to release the hitchhiker at his destination. They took his personal belongings, including his cellphone, and held him hostage.
One of the men allegedly took the victim’s bank card and requested the PIN, according to police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli. They told the victim to provide the correct PIN if he valued his life.
Driver and passenger shot dead
According to reports, the other suspect walked to a nearby ATM on the grounds of a specific filling station to withdraw some cash, leaving the victim inside the car with the other four.Â
“Shortly after one suspect left, the hitchhiker is said to have pulled out a firearm and fatally shot the driver and a passenger. The other two suspects then ran,” said Mdhluli.
Immediately after, he went to the petrol station to ask for help, and police were called.
When the police arrived, they arrested one suspect, discovered two lifeless bodies of the alleged robbers, and apprehended one of the two suspects who had fled.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect who returned to the scene is a Zimbabwean national who also owns the involved vehicle,” said Mdhluli.
Identities of deceased not known
Authorities charged the man with robbery and sanctioned a manhunt for the other two suspects.
The arrested suspect is expected to appear at the Middleburg magistrate’s court soon.
“Preliminary investigation by the police indicates that the firearm that was confiscated as part of the investigation belongs to the man that was hitchhiking,” said Mdhluli.
“In the meantime, the investigators are collaborating with Department of Home Affairs officials to determine the status of the arrested Zimbabwean national.”
The identities of the two deceased people are still unknown.
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