A 46-year-old Table View man will appear in court tomorrow (31 January) after he allegedly tried to kidnap a teenage girl.
According to a report from Table View police, the man was arrested at his home on Sunday thanks to Sergeant Rowan Dowie who worked tirelessly to track him down.
Police spokesperson, Captain Adriana Chandler, says on Saturday a 16-year-old girl was walking to the shop when she noticed an unknown male driving a vehicle very slowly next to her.
She says the man asked the girl to get into his vehicle and she kept on walking, feeling very uncomfortable and uneasy. She started to walk faster and the man kept following her. A few minutes later the girl arrived at a shop near Boy de Goede Circle, and started to walk back home again.
“She then noticed the same vehicle with the man inside. The man suddenly stopped the vehicle and climbed out of the car. Before she could run away, the man got hold of her and tried to get her into his vehicle. The girl fought and shouted for help, but no one heard her or came to her rescue. She fought hard and eventually reached for the man’s face and scratched him. He let go and the girl ran away, leaving the groceries she had just bought, on the ground.”
Chandler says the teenager reported the case the next day and Dowie knew that there would be footage available at the shop in Boy de Goede Circle. The footage was viewed and visuals of what had occurred were clear.
Chandler says the girl did not know the man but during the investigation, the officer discovered he lived in the same complex as the teenager.
Although the girl did not know who the man was, information was obtained by Dowie who traced the man to the same complex in Table View where the girl lived. He is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday 31 January.
Meanwhile, the girl has received counselling and police are appealing for residents to report all incidents immediately.
“It is a very scary case but we need people to come forward immediately so action can be taken,” Chandler concludes.
