An elderly St Francis Bay woman shot and killed one of two intruders (blacks) in her home early yesterday after they broke into her house and held her hostage. Police said the 72-year-old was assaulted and robbed at about 3am by the men, who were armed with a screwdriver and knife. The attackers gained entry by breaking a window and opening a sliding door. Warrant Officer Marianette Olivier said the woman had heard a noise inside the house just before the men stormed her bedroom and attacked her. “They confronted her, tied her hands behind her back and blindfolded her, demanding bank cards and pin numbers,” Olivier said. “One of the robbers allegedly took her Mercedes-Benz and drove to a nearby ATM, where he withdrew an undisclosed amount of money. While he was drawing the money, his accomplice remained behind in the house.”
The nearest ATM is at a local shopping centre about 2km from her home. During the time that the robber was at the ATM, the woman managed to untie herself when the other attacker left the room. In a panic, she grabbed her 38 special revolver. “The suspect saw her with the firearm and allegedly ran towards her in an attempt to stab her,” Olivier said. “According to her, she then fired three shots at him, but only two hit him.” The wounded attacker, whose identity is not known to the police, died at the scene. “His accomplice returned to the house only minutes later and found him dead and her with a firearm,” Olivier said. “In a hasty escape, he jumped out of the MercedesBenz and ran away without attempting to confront her.” The woman was taken to relatives in nearby Oyster Bay as she was suffering from shock and feared the other robber would return. “She is very traumatised by the incident and still in shock,” Olivier said. “Her doctor was called to the house shortly after the attack and treated her at the scene. We have spoken to the family and at this stage they do not want to talk to the media.” Police refused to divulge the woman’s name, saying she was now part of a criminal investigation. Many residents in St Francis Bay remained unaware of the attack and were alerted only after The Herald spoke to various home and business owners in the area.
Neighbour Andy Nosworthy said he had been unaware of the incident, but said he had wakened at about 3am after his dogs “went mad”. “I got up when I heard the dogs barking and turned all the outside lights on, ...
Read More
