Middleburg, Mpumalanga – A botched robbery ended in tragedy when an armed hitchhiker fatally shot two of his attackers on Saturday night.
According to the IOL, the incident occurred just before midnight when five men in a Hyundai Tucson offered a ride to the hitchhiker. The situation took a dark turn as the group, armed with a knife, refused to drop him off at his destination and instead robbed him of his mobile phone, personal belongings, and bank card.
According to Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, one of the robbers demanded the hitchhiker’s bank PIN and proceeded to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash while the remaining four men stayed in the vehicle, holding the hitchhiker hostage.
“The hitchhiker then produced a firearm and fatally shot the driver and one passenger. The remaining suspects fled the scene,” said Mdhluli.
The hitchhiker sought help at a nearby petrol station, where security officers alerted the police. Upon arrival, officers found the lifeless bodies of the two deceased robbers and arrested one of the suspects, who had returned to the scene.
The arrested suspect, a Zimbabwean national and owner of the Hyundai Tucson, has been charged with robbery. Police are collaborating with the Department of Home Affairs to verify his immigration status.
A manhunt has been launched to apprehend the two remaining suspects who fled. The identities of the deceased robbers are yet to be confirmed.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Middleburg Magistrate’s Court soon.
Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the incident or the whereabouts of the fleeing suspects to come forward.
The case remains under investigation as police work to piece together the details of the crime and its aftermath.
