- A Gauteng man has been arrested after being found in possession of a stolen hearse containing the bodies of stillborn twins.
- The vehicle was stolen outside the home affairs offices in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.
- The man allegedly wanted to sell the hearse.
A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a hearse containing the bodies of stillborn twins outside the home affairs offices in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.
The hearse was recovered in Midway, Soweto, with the help of the Eldorado Park police and local response teams about two hours after being stolen.
According to Dwain Ponsonby, a councillor in Eldorado Park, the driver had parked the vehicle at the home affairs offices to collect the children's death certificates when it was stolen.
The incident happened on 1 July.
Ponsonby said the stillborn twins were supposed to be buried the following day.
He said after the man realised that the hearse had been stolen, he reported the matter to the Eldorado Park police station.
The matter was attended to swiftly, said Ponsonby.
As the police were searching for the stolen vehicle, residents and the owner of the mortuary came across Ponsonby while they were standing outside the police station.
Ponsonby said he and the mortuary owner then got into his car and immediately summoned local response teams.
He said the police and the response teams continued searching for the hearse and gathering information from residents about the whereabouts of the suspect and the hearse.
Ponsonby said the suspect and the hearse were found nearly two hours after the search had started. The man was arrested, and according to information he was about to sell the vehicle, added Ponsonby.
"He knew that there were bodies inside the hearse, and we can't say why he had stolen it. It's not even like he's a drug user. He is just a drunkard," said Ponsonby.
He said police were investigating charges of kidnapping and vehicle theft.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello confirmed the incident.
"A vehicle from a funeral parlour was reported stolen in Eldorado Park on 1 July 2022. The vehicle was recovered on the same day and one man was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a presumed stolen vehicle. The suspect is expected to appear before the Protea Magistrate's Court," she said.
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