{"id":189084,"date":"2018-10-17T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-17T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/189084\/woman-shares-story-of-armed-robbery-at-retail-store\/"},"modified":"2018-10-17T15:42:35","modified_gmt":"2018-10-17T13:42:35","slug":"woman-shares-story-of-armed-robbery-at-retail-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2018\/10\/17\/woman-shares-story-of-armed-robbery-at-retail-store\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman shares story of armed robbery at retail store"},"content":{"rendered":"

The day started like any other for Elspark resident Elize Swanepoel (64), but October 3 will remain embedded in her memory for years to come.<\/p>\n

She arrived at Ackermans in Elspark, just after 9am, to scan her salary.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

\u201cThe doors were open when I arrived at the store and nothing looked out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I approached the counter I saw three Ackermans employees and two men, who I thought also worked there as they were standing at the counter,\u201d she explained.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

She approached the counter and asked one of the employees to scan her salary.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t speak to me, so I asked are you going to help me and still she kept quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of a sudden the man standing next to me pulled out a gun and said he was going to shoot me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter threatening me with the gun he put it away,\u201d Swanepoel said.<\/p>\n

Swanepoel still didn\u2019t realise what was going on and became even more confused when the man said it was a robbery.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:\u00a0Ackermans staff held up and store robbed in Elspark<\/a><\/h4>\n

\u201cI thought he was saying that I had robbed the store, so I told him that I hadn\u2019t stolen anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The man reportedly pulled out his firearm for a second time and threatened Swanepoel once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that my vision went black and I realised I had been hit with the gun,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The suspect allegedly then grabbed Swanepoel by the arm and ordered her to come with him, as she told him once again she hadn\u2019t stolen anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe took me to the back room where there was a large safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought maybe once we\u2019d reached the back room he was going to tell me what I was accused of stealing,\u201d Swanepoel explained.<\/p>\n

Swanepoel was put in the safe with another woman and man who she believed were Ackermans staff members.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had brought my handbag, which I had left on the counter, to the back room and emptied it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe took the R4 860 I had in my purse and put it in his pants. He also took the R50 I had received from my employer, which was in the side compartment of my handbag,\u201d explained Swanepoel.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A close-up of the injuries that Elize Swanepoel sustained to her face during an armed robbery at Ackermans in Elspark.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Swanepoel was ordered to turn around, as she was looking at the suspects.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said turn around, I am going to kill you now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just put my hands over my ears and said to God if you want me to live I will,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The suspects allegedly stole the cellphones from the safe before locking Swanepoel and the other two in the safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said to the woman please can I go, I need to call my employer.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me to keep quiet and peeped through a hole in the safe to see if the suspects had left.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter some time the woman at the counter came and unlocked the safe and called the police,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Swanepoel claimed she was the only person hurt during the robbery and was taken to hospital for treatment.<\/p>\n

The Elsburg police confirmed that they are investigating a case of business robbery.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is alleged that one suspect went into the shop pretending to be a customer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threatened the employees with a firearm and was then joined by three other men,\u201d said communications officer for the Elsburg SAPS Const Daphney Phooko.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe men instructed all the customers and employees who were in the store to put their cellphones inside a basket.\u201d<\/p>\n

The suspects reportedly instructed one of the employees to open the safe.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:\u00a0Shots fired in Lambton as armed robbers target businesses<\/a><\/h4>\n

\u201cThe time delay safe can only be opened every 39 minutes,\u201d said Phooko.<\/p>\n

The suspects took an undisclosed number of cellphones from the safe before they fled the scene.<\/p>\n

Phooko confirmed Swanepoel was assaulted but claimed it was with an open hand, contradicting Swanepoel\u2019s reports that she was pistol-whipped.<\/p>\n

No arrests have been made and police are appealing to the community for information that could assist in the arrest of the suspects.<\/p>\n

The community can call the Elsburg Police Station on 011 827 2060.<\/p>\n

Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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