Over the weekend, the five individuals suspected of engaging in a shoot-out with the police in Waterfalls last week were arrested and presented in court. The breakthrough in tracking down the gang came with the identification of their getaway car, driven by Patricia Mutedzi, through CCTV footage.
During questioning, Mutedzi implicated her accomplices – Munyaradzi Jonga (34), Munyaradzi Sandaka (33), Dereck Mafoti (39), and Tinotenda Foto (19). Acting on this information, the police conducted a raid at Jonga’s residence, where he attempted to escape and fired shots at the officers. Consequently, he was shot in the leg. Sandaka also resisted arrest and suffered a gunshot wound to the shin.
According to court documents, on January 22, the gang conspired to rob an unnamed complainant in Waterfalls. Armed with a revolver, they broke into the victim’s house while she was listening to music with earphones. The robbers instructed her to remain silent and escorted her to her father’s bedroom. The victim handed them the keys to the bedroom, and the gang proceeded to ransack the room, making off with US$13,000, polished emeralds, a diamond scale, wristwatches, and title deeds.
The stolen items were loaded into their getaway car. Following their arrest, the suspects led the police to a pool in Epworth, where they had discarded the safe after detonating it. The authorities successfully recovered the gold scale and emeralds.
