“We have found the vehicle, we have found the vehicle,” said police on the phone as I ran out of the office door at Caxton Joburg North West.
Reports had come through that the vehicle of the missing man, Marthinus Pelser, who was wanted by police for questioning in connection with the death of his six-month-old baby, had been found.
As per usual, Joburg traffic and Murphy’s Law – especially when one is in a rush, every single traffic light was red.
As I approached the intersection of Christiaan de Wet Road and Rooibok Street in Allen’s Nek, I saw the copper-coloured Kia Picanto car. All four doors were open and a group of people surrounded the vehicle.
Once I had confirmation that it was definitely Pelser’s vehicle, I approached the scene. Pelser was nowhere in sight, as far as I could see, and I was unsure if whether they had apprehended him or not. Honeydew SAPS vehicles had now surrounded the vehicle.
It was a haunting scene as two baby-car seats could be seen in the back, a horrific sight when considering the circumstances of his arrest.
A couple of men at the scene said, “That b*st*rd is f*/king lucky that the Police got to him first!”
I spoke to numerous security company personnel and Honeydew CPF to gauge the situation.
It was then, that I peered into the weepy eyes of Pelser that stared back at me from behind the caged closed door of the police van.
By now, dozens of people were milling around with much buzz circulating about his whereabouts. Phone calls were made to Honeydew SAPS spokesperson, Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs, who assured me comment as soon as I returned to the station.
While simultaneously taking photos of the Kia Picanto, the police van and sending through a story, my vehicle was in gear and off we went. The Honeydew Police van veered off onto Christiaan De Wet, headed towards the station.
After about five minutes, or an eternity as it seemed, the van reversed up to the charge room entrance at the Honeydew Police Station.
The door was opened by the arresting officer and Pelser climbed out of the van. He had his hands behind his back in handcuffs and was dressed in a black and red jacket, board shorts and he wore no shoes.
His face was solemn and covered with a thick beard from days of not shaving. As officers escorted him into the charge office, he briefly looked up, as if knowing this was the last time he may be a free man.
WO Jacobs explained that he will appear at Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on 17 June.
