A 66-year-old Port Elizabeth man was shot and killed as a group of armed robbers fled from the Greenacres Shopping Centre in Port Elizabeth on Friday after robbing a jewellery store.
Police said an armed gang entered Fischers Jewellers around 9.30am and held up staff before taking an as yet unknown amount of jewellery.
Police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg, says "on fleeing the store a display window was broken."
"The suspects ran out of the centre and attempted to hijack a vehicle in the parking area however they met with confrontation by responding police. The suspects then attempted to hijack another person not far off in the same area. It is further alleged that a 66 year old man, the owner of the LDV bakkie resisted and was fatally wounded," she said.
"The suspects then abandoned the bakkie and fled on foot towards a cellphone shop in Cape Road. Another confrontation took place between the suspects and a security guard. The suspects succeeded in hijacking a white VW Polo. Three of the four suspects drove away in the Polo while one fled on foot and was arrested in Westview drive Mill Park by another security company. Some of the stolen jewellery was recovered at a fast food parking lot," Janse Van Rensburg added.
She said information regarding the hijacked VW Polo was circulated and various SAPS vehicles responded.
"The VW Polo was recovered abandoned in a cul-de-sac in Second Avenue Newton Park. The suspects were seeing fleeing towards the taxi rank in Durban Road. Police arrested two suspects in a taxi and two firearms were found in their possession. Some of the stolen jewellery was also recovered."
"Police have opened cases of murder, armed robbery, two counts of attempted hijacking, carjacking, murder, two counts of the illegal possession of firearm and ammunition and the possession of suspected stolen property. The suspects are expected to appear in court soon," said Janse Van Rensburg.
