Riet River, KwaZulu-Natal – A 55-year-old woman was allegedly shoved to the ground and had her television stolen during a dispute over an unpaid alcohol bill in Riet River on Wednesday afternoon, according to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA).
Reaction Unit officer Hazra Yunis Cassim was dispatched to Saturn Road at around 13:51 after the resident reported that she had been assaulted by a known 30-year-old woman, who then fled the scene with a 32-inch Vivo flat-screen television.
Upon arrival, officers established that the suspect was a former tenant who had moved out of the property months earlier but returned to the home earlier in the day.
RUSA reported that the woman allegedly forced her way into the residence while the homeowner’s boyfriend was not present. She is accused of pushing the elderly woman to the ground before demanding R150 in cash, claiming it was payment for alcohol she had previously purchased for the homeowner’s partner.
The suspect then allegedly removed the television from the house and attempted to take a satellite dish before fleeing on foot.
Officers were unable to immediately locate the suspect but later interviewed the homeowner’s boyfriend, who confirmed he had consumed alcohol with the woman but said he could not clearly recall the payment arrangements linked to the drinks.
Reaction Unit South Africa confirmed that a case of theft has been opened and is currently under investigation.
