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'Being a Samaritan comes 2nd'
29/11/2006 07:47 - (SA)
Bloemfontein - Three suspects were arrested in connection with the murder of a Bloemfontein businesswoman in Phase Two in Mangaung last week, police said on Tuesday.
"It was about 02:00 on Tuesday when members of Bloemfontein crime intelligence started following up information on the whereabouts of the alleged killers of a 44-year-old woman of Kwaggafontein," said Superintendent Motantsi Makhele.
Riana Bitzer was shot dead while dropping off her garden maintenance employees near their homes in Phase Two at about 15:00 on Friday last week.
Makhele said Tuesday's information was followed up after a suspected stolen vehicle, possibly used as a getaway vehicle in Friday's incident, was found abandoned at Magengenene Cemetery in Phahameng on Monday.
Shoot-out
"The first suspect who is a 23-year-old man was arrested at Garden Tavern in Batho at 02:15 and the second man who is also a 23-year-old man was arrested at his home in Phase Two."
Makhele said the men were taken for questioning, which led police to a house in Rocklands and at 09:15 a police team knocked on the shack door.
"The suspect, who is 22-year-old man, started firing some shots while in the shack. The police returned fire and the suspect escaped through the window at the back and run to the second house in the same street."
Makhele said the man started shooting at police from the roof of the second house.
"The police returned fire and the suspect was wounded in the stomach."
The man was caught and taken to hospital.
Police confiscated a pistol and two knives.
"All the suspects are expected to appear in the magistrate's court in Bloemfontein soon," said Makhele.
The African Christian Democratic Party has congratulated the police on the arrests.
"We are grateful that these arrests came so soon," Casper Nordier, provincial leader, said.
Nordier said the incident, however, "unfortunately" underlined that people need to think twice when intending to do good to fellow humans, such as taking workers home.
"It is a tragic fact that people in this country need to keep safety in mind at all cost, and that being a Samaritan comes second," he said.
- SAPA
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