Police spokesperson, Adèle Myburgh, tells OFM News the trio approached the business in question just before 08:00 am in the morning. Upon realising the store was still closed, the suspects then went directly to the owner’s house, located down the road, pretending to seek stock. She says they were travelling in a white Toyota Etios at the time. Myburgh says once they returned to the liquor store, with the unsuspecting owner, that’s when the ambush occurred.

The suspects are alleged to have pulled out their guns and began to ransack the business for money. They took an undisclosed amount of money with them before fleeing the scene in their Etios and a Toyota panel van belonging to the owner. Myburgh says police and emergency medical services were alerted following the incident and a manhunt was launched for the three suspects.

She says even an off-duty police officer pursued the suspects in his private vehicle. Authorities were able to track down the Etios eventually, travelling outside of Hartbeesfontein. One of the three men was travelling in the Etios with an unidentified woman. He stopped the car on the side of the road and fled into the bushes, leaving his female companion behind.

The woman was arrested, while all three male suspects are still at large.

OFM News