Two women wanted for drugging and robbing a 75-year-old pensioner in Riet River, KwaZulu-Natal, have been tracked down and arrested by Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA).
Story Summary:
- Two women accused of drugging and robbing a 75-year-old pensioner in Riet River were arrested after CCTV footage led investigators to their homes.
- One suspect, a 39-year-old, revealed the involvement of her friend, who was found at a crèche in Phoenix.
- Both women allegedly used Facebook to befriend the pensioner before carrying out the robbery.
Riet River women wanted for robbery arrested
The arrests come a week after the women allegedly ransacked the elderly man’s home, making away with cash, valuables, and personal belongings.
Here’s how the suspects were found and what authorities have revealed about the incident.
The robbery took place on Friday, 8 November 2024, when the two women reportedly visited the pensioner at his residence in Riet River.
According to police reports, the elderly man welcomed the women into his home, as one of them had befriended him on Facebook and arranged the meeting.
After entering, the women offered to make tea, which the pensioner accepted.
Moments after drinking the tea, he began to feel disoriented and eventually blacked out.
He regained consciousness several hours later, only to find that his home had been looted.
The suspects took cash, three mobile phones, easternwear, branded shoes, and other valuables, loading the stolen items into three bags before fleeing the scene.
RUSA officers launched an investigation and, with the help of CCTV footage, identified the suspects entering and leaving the area.
The women wore face masks to conceal their identities, but investigators managed to piece together clues that led them to one of the women’s residences in Chatsworth, KZN.
Upon arrival, officers observed and then arrested a 39-year-old woman at her home in Montford.
During questioning, she admitted to accompanying her friend to the pensioner’s home but claimed that she was unaware the man had been drugged until he became incoherent after drinking the tea.
She also alleged that it was her accomplice who took items from the elderly man’s bedroom.
The woman further cooperated by pointing out her friend’s location, leading RUSA officers to Phoenix, KZN.
Following the lead, RUSA officers located the second suspect, a 47-year-old woman, at a crèche in Sunford, Phoenix.
When questioned, she revealed that she had initiated contact with the pensioner through Facebook and arranged the visit. According to her, she travelled to his home via Uber, expecting some form of compensation for her visit.
The woman confessed to distributing the stolen items through a friend of her teenage son.
Both women were taken into custody and handed over to the South African Police Services (SAPS) for further processing.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to recover the stolen items and gather additional evidence. SAPS has not yet announced formal charges but confirmed that the women will be held in custody pending further investigation.
