Teenage 'farm attackers' arrested after crashing stolen car
79-year-old Mpumalanga farmer murdered, wife in hospital
Image: 123RF/jirkaejc
Four teenagers have been arrested for allegedly killing a septuagenarian and injuring his wife during a farm robbery.
The arrest came less than two hours after the murder of the 79-year-old farmer at Grootvlei near Balfour, Mpumalanga, on Sunday morning.
Brig Selvy Mohlala said the four suspects, aged between 16 and 19, attacked the farmer outside the house, forcing him inside and demanding valuables.
Inside, they assaulted both the husband and wife. “The deceased was injured with an unknown object on his face and as a result he succumbed to his injuries. He was certified dead on the scene by medical personnel. The wife was taken to hospital for medical treatment.”
The youths escaped with three firearms and their Renault Kwid.
The vehicle overturned in Villiers, about 25km away.
A farmer in Balfour has been tortured and most brutally killed, and his wife is in a serious condition in hospital. 4 Perpetrators were apprehended after they rolled the stolen vehicle near Villiers pic.twitter.com/zo4LljWbnh
— Theo de Jager (@TheoDJager) July 30, 2023
“All occupants managed to free themselves from the overturned vehicle and fled the scene. A community member who witnessed the accident notified Villiers SAPS who immediately launched a manhunt.”
They were swiftly arrested.
Two of the stolen firearms, a pistol and a revolver, were found in their possession. The shotgun was left at the accident scene.
The suspects will be charged with murder, assault with intent to do grievous body harm and robbery. They are expected to appear in a Balfour court on Tuesday.
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