Mountain Muggings since February 2008 - those that are known about. . .

Please report any sightings to TMNP ph 021 701 8692 SAPS ph 10111 TMNP Security ph 0861 106 417

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Lion's Head Saturday April 4th 2009 - A Zimbabwean national will appear in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Monday on charges related to the mugging of two British hikers on Lion's Head at the weekend. The 26-year-old man was apprehended by Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) rangers after the tourists were robbed of their backpack at 7pm on Saturday, Cape Town Central police station spokesperson Randall Stoffels said. He said the hikers, a man and a woman, had been walking along the Lion's Head footpath when two men approached and pulled a knife on them. The assailants demanded that the hikers hand over their backpack with their personal belongings, a digital camera, a wallet and cash, Stoffels said. The men fled the scene and the hikers alerted patrolling TMNP rangers, who cordoned off the area, Stoffels said. He said the rangers, with the help of a dog unit, cornered one man in possession of the stolen backpack. The second suspect was still at large. TMNP spokesperson Phumeza Mgxashe said a park partnership with the police had helped reduce the number of incidents over the past festive season to the lowest since the TMNP adopted a visitor safety strategy five years ago. After gathering "aerial perspectives" in February, rangers could pinpoint potential escape routes, vulnerable spots, hideouts and vantage points. Mgxashe said 52 rangers patrolled the park daily, including the handlers of five highly-trained dogs. 2 December: Two women were mugged in 2 separate incidents just after 7 pm just above the paraglider launch point on the normal walk up. The assailant was a lone African male, early 20's armed with a knife. 27th Novenber - there were two more attacks on Lions Head, 6 tourists robbed of valuables and documents. Fortunately no one was injured. 6th November - Lion's Head attack (No details). 14 October Jonkersdam Entrance - Glencairn Express Way: Two tourists were mugged by 3 men at the top of the Glencairn freeway, most likely by wood cutters as one of them left a saw behind. Muggers appeared to be quite timid and nervous. Charges filed at Hout Bay but the Austrian couple have returned to Europe. Laptop and cameras stolen, no injuries. (Report: Fish Hoek Echo) 18 October 2008 Mugging earlier at Sandy Bay by a group of 4 Black males that take off with a bag. Victim reported to be heading to the Police Station to lay charges. 19h55 ADT6 detains a matching set of black males with the bag at Victoria traffic lights. SAPS asked to attend. July 24 2008 A UCT lecturer and a visiting British academic were mugged on Lion's Head late on Wednesday afternoon. Samuel Ginsberg, a lecturer in UCT's department of electrical engineering, said he and Frank Podd, a lecturer from the University of Bradford, had been accosted by two men while they were descending Lion's Head at about 5.30pm. There had been "lots of hikers" on the mountain at the time of the attack, Ginsberg said. Both men had knives, and Podd handed over his bag. Ginsberg fled and was chased by one of the muggers before tripping and falling. The mugger caught up with him and threatened him with a knife. He handed over his bag, and the two muggers fled with Ginsberg's jacket, his wallet, car keys and office keys, and Podd's British and South African cellphones, wallet, credit cards and a jacket. Ginsberg reported the theft to police, who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards and took statements from both him and his colleague. On Wednesday night, Ginsberg said he was "fine, just a little shaken". Podd returns to the United Kingdom on Friday. Police spokesperson Randall Stoffels confirmed the incident. A spokesperson for Table Mountain National Parks said the organisation did not know about the incident, as was sometimes the case when people reported muggings directly to the police, and not to parks authorities. Earlier this month, two knife-wielding men mugged a Simon's Town hiker, her 12-year-old grandson and four others at Blackhill, on the boundary of the Solole Private Game Reserve near Masiphumelele. June 25 2008 Subsequent to a mugging that took place next to the Silvermine dam, the following article appeared in several newspapers: WANTED: Kirstenhof police are looking for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this man. On Wednesday 25 June a 28-year-old Fish Hoek resident and his four friends, of which one is wheel-chair bound, were hiking on the Silvermine mountain, just above Tokai. The party of five was accosted by two men, one of whom was armed with a knife. The suspects robbed the hikers of their rucksacks. A scuffle broke out between one of the hikers and the armed man, during which the hiker was stabbed in his right forearm. Anyone with information, please contact Detective Inspector Moeghammed Dolly on (021) 702 8916 during office hours. March 21 2008 A 58 year old Tokai resident walking her dogs was hijacked and assaulted just outside Tokai forest at 5pm by 2 gun wielding men. Not only was she violently attacked, but the hi-jackers fired 2 shots off right next to her head to shut her up. They took off with her car and valuables. A week later two men in possession of her vehicle were arrested in a joint operation between SAPS Diep River, Metro and Traffic. According to SAPS, one of the accused has 5 awaiting trial cases, (4 for narcotics and 1 for house breaking) and has 4 previous convictions, (2 for narcotics and 2 for theft). March 17th 2008       pepper-spraying a dog to stop a dog fight is a very harmful thing to do You will drive them into a mad panic of pain and they will blind themselves trying to get rid of what is hurting them. A human knows not to rub too madly but to wash their eyes immediately. Trying to do this to a panicked dog will only get you bitten. This morning in Newlands forest, a small Labrador-x and a young Rotweiller went for my 11-year-old dog. In an effort to control her dogs, the owner let off her pepper-spray, missed her dogs and gave me full blast on my hand. At the time I thought it was just an aerosol deodorant (some people use these to stop dog fights; I didn't dream she'd be spraying me with her pepper spray to stop her dogs attacking mine!!). Initially I only felt a strange coldness on my skin, however - I rubbed my eye on the way home - and nearly crashed my car! It was pepper spray I'd got on my hand. I managed to calm my eye (it obviously only got a miniscule amount) but my hand that got the primary blast was stinging sharply by the time I got home and stung like crazy all day. Heaven knows what would have happened if she had got the dogs..... March 12th 2008 Mugging on the jogging path outside Newlands Forest near the Forestry Station/Helipad A female runner was hit on the back of her head by rock thrown by a mugger. She luckily did not fall but only stumbled. She then cut straight across the bushes into the highway and tried to stop a car. Shockingly, none of the motorists wanted to stop and help, despite her pleas for help. At this stage the suspect started to come towards her again, so she ran along the highway trying to stop motorists. Luckily, two mountain bikers were on the path and stopped to help. She told them what had happened and actually pointed the guy out to them, who had crossed the highway at that stage but still followed her. The one mountain biker went after him while the other stayed with the runner. The cyclist caught the man who is now under arrestat the Claremont Police station. The runner needed stitches to her head. She was attacked in broad daylight with a rock from the back, making her pepper spray useless. She was not running with any money or jewellery so we can only assume he attacked for other reasons other than robbery. March 6th 2008 A suspected mugger died of apparent dehydration at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens while in police custody, as paramedics were treating him for leg injuries he sustained scrambling over rocks and bush while trying to outrun security guards. Three other suspects were also treated for leg injuries and are in hospital under police guard.The four, aged 20 to 30, were arrested within an hour of allegedly robbing a German couple at knifepoint in Skeleton Gorge. A fifth suspect managed to escape. On Wednesday night, police and Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) were organising support to help the German couple who had been hiking on Skeleton Gorge near Nursery Ravine when five men approached and threatened them with knives and robbed of their backpacks containing a digital camera, car keys, a cellphone and about R700 cash. All these items were recovered when the four suspects were arrested. TMNP spokesperson Phumeza Mgxashe said SA National Parks and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden security guards, some with sniffer dogs, had been tracking the four suspects after the mugging. She said it was possible guards doing regular patrols had spotted the muggers running away. The suspects tried to get away and there was a chase by both National Parks and Kirstenbosch security in Nursery Ravine. The terrain wasn't easy to move on and that's when (the suspects) got hurt. One of the rangers I spoke to said it seemed they had broken their legs, Mgxashe said. The mugging was the second on Skeleton Gorge in just over a week and the arrests brought the number of suspected muggers apprehended on the mountain this year to five. March 5th 2008 An arrest was made of the person who robbed the lady of her bike on Tafelberg road. Detectives are following up but they think that the guy may be linked to some of the Skeleton attacks. Intelligence is also suggesting criminals are being taxied to Camps Bay and are then walking through Camps Bay - via Signal Hill - into CT town robbing and mugging along the way. Be careful in these areas!! Friday 29 Feb Skeleton Gorge - near 2nd ladder 2 black guys: Swedish and German Tourists robbed of camera: case opened Claremont police station Monday 25 Feb Skeleton Gorge 2 black guys : Czechoslovakian Doctor robbed of small amount cash and watch 27 February There was a mugging in Nursery Ravine when an American tourist was relieved of his possessions by 3 knife wielding men. Despite the highly publicised arrest last month of a suspect, muggers are still operating in this area. 16 February Two Swedish tourists were robbed at knifepoint near Signal Hill on Saturday at about 15h50. The robbery was only reported to police on Sunday evening. 6 February 2008 Two walkers were mugged this morning on Kalk Bay Mountain above Ou Kraal. Three very well-spoken men approached them and shook their hands. They then pulled a knife on them and asked for wallets, rings etc. Once they had removed cash from the wallets they returned them and went on their way. They have been described as well-educated, well-spoken and polite. Apparently they were surprised sleeping in a cave. People need to be aware of this "polite" approach, as when someone wants to shake your hand it is a bit disarming and you kind of feel rude if you move away from them or give them the cold shoulder - but unfortunately it seems we need to treat all strangers as potential muggers these days. Description of men Black, possibly foreigners, well spoken, polite. They were bare chested and mentioned they were living in the caves above Ou Kraal. The main one was possibly a rastafarian as it appeared he had a "dread sack". Well-spoken, good English. He had an ivory looking necklace around his neck with a horn on. They did not harm the walkers but wanted their valuables. The other man had a scarf around his face. The victim did not really notice the 3rd man as he was too busy dealing with the rasta. The walkers had 2 dogs with them - labradors but as the muggers were quiet and non-physical the dogs were not protective. The muggers were not phased by the dogs. Pity hikers did not have a rottweiler ... " 6 February 2008 A Belgian tourist was robbed on Table Mountain by two men armed with knives, Cape Town police said on Wednesday. Captain Randall Stoffels said the men robbed the 56-year-old hiker of his camera, cellphone and an undisclosed amount of cash. The tourist was ascending Table Mountain through Skeleton Gorge when he was attacked. He was not hurt. After the incident the robbers fled into nearby bushes. The Kirstenbosch Security staff responded quickly and within 10 minutes TMNP Rangers were alerted, ensuring that within 30 min the security team was ready to enter Skeleton Gorge. Trevor Solomons and his Combat Force coordinated with the TMNP Rangers and the rapid response resulted in the successful arrest of one of the muggers together with the victim's items. The TMNP are following up to make sure the charges stick this time, as this mugger was the same person Kirstenbosch Security staff arrested early in 2007 under suspicious conditions, whom the SAPS released. From a security perspective, we have hopefully dealt a blow to the Mountain Muggers who, compared to attacker on Friday 1 Feb 2008, were much more docile. We will now be focusing on the Friday 1 Feb incident to arrest this new, more violent, threat. Please maintain vigilance and continue to walk in groups and report suspicious activity immediately. Thank you Augustine T. Morkel Estate Manager Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Fri 1st February 2008 A runner was attacked in the Cecilia Forest/Kirstenbosch area while on a training run, badly beaten and traumatized. She fought off her attacker and managed to reach safety at Kirstenbosch Top Gate

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