A domestic worker from Manenberg who preyed on elderly homeowners by gaining their trust before robbing and attacking them will spend the next 15 years behind bars.
Anne Demas, 38, was caught in a sting operation at Vangate Mall in 2016 after an 87-year-old ouma was attacked in her Primrose Park home by two male accomplices.
Manenberg Police Station commander, Brigadier Enolium Joseph, says Detective Sergeant Daryl van Noie uncovered the sinister scheme while attending the scene in Amazon Street.
On 23 August 2016, Demas was employed by the Primrose Park ouma as a maid.
“She started her new job and asked the elderly resident if she could use the toilet and if there was an outside toilet,” explains Joseph.
“The 87-year-old showed her the toilet and when she came back, she saw two unidentified males in her home. They threatened to cut her throat if she shouted.
“One of the men choked and assaulted her while another tied her hands behind her back. They stole various items such as jewellery, a TV and a microwave and fled the scene.”
The ouma survived the attack and called police.
During the investigation, the detective found there had been 10 similar cases in Athlone, Lansdowne and Manenberg.
“Demas was committing these robberies since 2014 using her cover as a domestic,” says Joseph.
“She preyed on elderly people and after getting the job, she would work for two to three weeks to gain their trust before bringing in her boyfriend and two other suspects to rob them.
“They would use a great deal of violence on the elderly, threatening them with death and ransacking their homes, leaving the victims beaten and severely traumatised.”
Van Noie responded to one of Demas’ advertisements and went undercover as a single teacher looking for a maid and a relationship, and she agreed to meet with him at Vangate Mall for coffee.
Joseph says Demas got more than just coffee when she arrived, as a special task team was covertly stationed in the mall waiting to pounced on her.
Demas was positively identified as the domestic worker by the 87-year-old complainant and she was arrested.
Several house robberies bearing the same modus operandi were also linked to the dief domestic.
“Demas, her boyfriend and two other suspects were arrested. She has been found guilty on seven charges of house robbery and on 26 September she was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment at the Wynberg Regional Court,” adds Joseph.
The cases against her co-accused are still running.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Manenberg SAPS on 021 699 9400.