One of Pretoria’s most wanted criminal is dead and another was critically injured during anti-crime operations, police said on Tuesday.
”The first suspect — wanted on two charges of murder and two of attempted murder — shot himself in the head when he realised he could not escape,” said police spokesperson Percy Morokane.
He described how residents of Block MM in Soshanguve north of Pretoria, cheered as the news of Godfrey Mabena’s death filtered out.
”Mabena, otherwise known as Godfrey Baloyi, believed to be in his 20s, was hunted down by Rietgat police just before 7pm on Monday.”
He was visiting friends when police found him, Morokane said. He described how Mabena, realising he was about to be arrested, placed the gun against his head and pulled the trigger.
”He died immediately,” said Morokane.
Mabena was accused of murdering a Soshanguve resident in June last year and a Mabopane resident in January this year. He was also accused of attempting to murder two Soshanguve residents earlier this month.
The second suspect, Tebogo Peta (35) is in a critical condition in the Kalefong hospital, west of Pretoria, after he was shot twice in the chest by police during a gun battle in Atteridgeville on Tuesday morning.
Peta, wanted for the rape of a police woman in 2000 and another rape the following year, fired 12 shots from his hide-out as police closed in.
”We received a tip-off at 3am. Eventually at 6am we cornered him in the shack in Ntsu Street,” Morokane said. Police returned fire and Peta was wounded.
”We believe the firearm used by Peta was the police service pistol that had been stolen from his first victim during the rape,” Morokane said.
Police also found Mandrax and dagga in the shack. – Sapa