A suspected house robber died in Plettenberg Bay during a confrontation with police over the weekend.
|||Plettenberg Bay - A suspected house robber died in Plettenberg Bay during a confrontation with police over the weekend.
Western Cape police spokeswoman Captain Bernadine Steyn said on Monday it was unclear whether police shot and killed him, or whether he committed suicide.
The man died from a gunshot wound to the head shortly after he robbed a 70-year-old woman's house on Saturday night. He also tried to rob an abandoned house next door.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident (are) still unclear and being investigated, including the possibility that the suspect fatally wounded himself,” Steyn said.
A man forced his way into the woman's house on Saturday and demanded she hand over her valuables.
“The suspect, who had a knife, demanded cash and a firearm from the victim, after which he ransacked the house. He also took the safe that was in one of the bedrooms out of the wall and forced it opened with an iron pole,” said Steyn.
He took a 7.65mm pistol from the safe, as well as household items including a laptop, a cellular phone, sunglasses, and clothes, and went to an empty house next door.
A security company and police were called and confronted the man at the empty house.
“The suspect allegedly fired shots at them (and they) returned fire,” said Steyn.
The man died on the scene. An inquest docket was opened. - Sapa