Baby left on pavement during District Six carjacking; one suspect arrested
Three suspects armed with firearms approach carjacked a black Mercedes-Benz in District Six.
Image: File
Metro police arrested a man after they recovered a stolen vehicle involved in a hijacking in District Six on Tuesday, February 3, while an eight-month-old baby was still strapped into a car seat.
The incident occurred at about 7.45pm in Sydney Street when the owner of a black Mercedes-Benz was sitting inside the vehicle with four other adults and the infant, according to provincial police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk.
“Three suspects armed with firearms approached the vehicle and pointed it at the occupants, instructing them to hand over their property and to exit the vehicle. Once they all exited the vehicle, the suspects climbed into the vehicle,” he said.
Captain Van Wyk said the baby was still in the vehicle, sitting in a baby car seat. “The father of the baby confronted the suspects and asked them to give his child to him. The baby was removed from the car by the suspects and placed on the pavement in the baby car seat,” he said. The suspects then drove off in an unknown direction.
At the time, Cape Town Central police registered a carjacking case.
Soon after, the tracker company was contacted, and at about 8.30 pm, police discovered the vehicle in Albion Close, Lentegeur, Mitchell's Plain. “The vehicle was parked, and there was one suspect inside the vehicle. A 41-year-old suspect was arrested. No firearms were found in the vehicle,” he said.
Captain Van Wyk said the vehicle was booked as an exhibit for further processing.
The suspect will appear in the Cape Town Magistrates court once charged.
The Cape Town Central Police Community Policing Forum(CPF) chairperson, Marc Truss, said that carjackings are not a regular crime in the community, though he says the biggest concern in this incident was that a child was involved. "Fortunately, the child was found safe and sound, but it is still something that should not have happened," he said.
Anyone with further information about this incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.