A Lotus River woman has been left traumatised after a suspected kidnapper tried to snatch her in broad daylight.
The brave woman managed to escape by wriggling out of her clothing.
A 28-year-old man was busted within hours by Grassy Park station commander Dawood Laing, who spotted the vehicle used in the incident and single-handedly arrested the suspect.
The 23-year-old vrou, who asked not to be named, claims motorists simply drove by as her attacker wrestled her to the ground in a terrifying attack along the busy 5th Avenue on Tuesday.
“I was on my way to work at 6.55am and had just missed my bus,” she told the Daily Voice.
“I saw the greyish Opel Corsa pull up near me and the driver sat and idled his car. After idling for a long time, the car went off and he immediately started it again and I became suspicious and started moving away.
“There was a woman who passed me as she walked with two children and the minute she took the corner at OK [MiniMark], he grabbed me from behind.”
She said her attacker held her in a military-type lock, restraining her arms.
“He was very strong and I could hardly fight him off. Eventually during the struggle I managed to let both of us fall to the ground.
“He grabbed the sleeves of my jacket and top and so I let him pull it and loosened myself out of my clothes and ran away in just a vest.”
The scared vrou said she ran down the street while the man stood watching her, before she begged a taxi driver for help.
“I told him what happened and he did nothing and let the guy get away,” she says.
“There were other cars that saw what happened but they didn’t help me. I ran home but I clearly remember that [his car] had a sticker with praying hands on the rear windscreen.”
Grassy Park police were called and the woman gave a statement describing her ordeal.
Laing said that later in the day, he was driving home when he spotted the Opel Corsa on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Lake Road.
“I recognised it based on her description and sommer went to the car. Inside there was a member of the Six Bobs gang in the driver’s seat,” he explains.
“The suspect was sitting in the passenger seat and I immediately arrested him and called for the van. He was very harregat when being questioned but he has been charged with attempted kidnapping and will appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.”
The victim is grateful for the arrest but said the experience has left her questioning humanity.
“I can see the flashbacks in my mind. I know he is in custody but I feel scared,” she says.
“To the people who saw this and did nothing, I want to say I understand that you were maybe thinking about your own life. I know some people may have thought this was a boyfriend and girlfriend fighting but someone could have stopped to make sure I was OK, knowing what a sick country we live in.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za