Eastern Cape police have arrested a 33-year-old man from Nkelekethe Location Teko Springs Village, Centane for three murders as well as the illegal possession of a firearm.
Police spokesperson, Captain Jackson Manatha, says the man allegedly went on the rampage early Friday morning, attacking and killing an 82-year-old man while also stabbing and injuring his daughter-in-law before setting their house on fire.
He says the man then went to two other homesteads where he stabbed two women in their fifties to death while three other women were seriously injured in the rampant attack..
Manatha says an off-duty policeman who lives in the village managed to apprehend the suspect who was then assaulted by members of the community.
"An off duty Butterworth Policeman who is a resident of Nkelekethe Location Teko Springs Village Centane was alerted about the vicious attacks. He rushed to the suspect with his police fire arm and fired some warning shots as the suspect was still busy accosting the people," Manatha said.
He said the "off duty policeman disarmed the suspect and he discovered that the revolver had no ammunition. Angry community members assaulted the suspect with sticks but the off duty warrant officer managed to convince them not to take the law into their own hands and they stopped assaulting him."
"The 33 year old suspect was also taken to Butterworth hospital where he will be under heavy police guard. Once he is discharged he will appear before the Centane Magistrate Court on charges of three murders, four attempted murders, three arsons and possession of unlicensed fire arm," Manatha said.
