Elderly woman killed in Greenhills attack
A 60-year-old woman was murdered and her 89-year
old mother-in-law was severely assaulted in an apparent botched burglary
in Greenhills on 2 May.
According to Randfontein SAPS spokesperson, Captain Appel Ernst, the family's long-standing domestic worker left for the local clinic at around 7am on 2 May and returned home at 11am, as she does on this date every month.
Upon her return, the electronic gate was opened for her as usual but as she entered the premises, she discovered the severely beaten 89-year old woman.
The woman had apparently managed to get to the remote control for the gate and opened it when the domestic worker rang the bell.
Despite having been severely beaten, the elderly woman was in a panic and only cared about her nearly two-year old great-granddaughter who was visiting at the time.
She urged the domestic worker to help her find the child.
"The domestic worker immediately started searching for the child and came upon the 60-year old woman in the main bedroom," says Ernst.
"The woman was also severely beaten, and had succumbed to head injuries probably inflicted with a blunt object."
Paramedics on the scene also indicated that she had some broken ribs.
Ernst says that the domestic worker eventually found the very traumatised but luckily unharmed child.
She had been gagged with a sock, but was otherwise unharmed.
"The domestic worker ran outside and alerted a gardener working across the street, who alerted the neighbours.
"The neighbours alerted the local security company and the police."
Ernst says that there was nothing at the scene that suggested that the robbers had planned to hold up the family.
"We suspect that, because it was so quiet at the house, they thought no-one was home and decided to burgle it, only to be surprised by the elderly women."
The injured woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment, while the child was treated on the scene and given into the care of her mother.
According to Randfontein SAPS spokesperson, Captain Appel Ernst, the family's long-standing domestic worker left for the local clinic at around 7am on 2 May and returned home at 11am, as she does on this date every month.
Upon her return, the electronic gate was opened for her as usual but as she entered the premises, she discovered the severely beaten 89-year old woman.
The woman had apparently managed to get to the remote control for the gate and opened it when the domestic worker rang the bell.
Despite having been severely beaten, the elderly woman was in a panic and only cared about her nearly two-year old great-granddaughter who was visiting at the time.
She urged the domestic worker to help her find the child.
"The domestic worker immediately started searching for the child and came upon the 60-year old woman in the main bedroom," says Ernst.
"The woman was also severely beaten, and had succumbed to head injuries probably inflicted with a blunt object."
Paramedics on the scene also indicated that she had some broken ribs.
Ernst says that the domestic worker eventually found the very traumatised but luckily unharmed child.
She had been gagged with a sock, but was otherwise unharmed.
"The domestic worker ran outside and alerted a gardener working across the street, who alerted the neighbours.
"The neighbours alerted the local security company and the police."
Ernst says that there was nothing at the scene that suggested that the robbers had planned to hold up the family.
"We suspect that, because it was so quiet at the house, they thought no-one was home and decided to burgle it, only to be surprised by the elderly women."
The injured woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment, while the child was treated on the scene and given into the care of her mother.
