A former cop accused of scamming a single mom out of R10 000 in a bogus rental deal has been arrested.
But now Tanya Lombard says she fears for her life after her tyres were slashed and she received threatening phone calls.
The suspect, Eldred Fisher, handed himself over at Grassy Park SAPS this week after the story appeared in the Daily Voice.
Tanya said when she reported the matter to Grassy Park SAPS, a detective told her to find the man herself and she took to social media.
Tanya, who cares for her two children and wheelchair-bound mom-in-law, Marcie Mareldie, 79, says she was looking for a wheelchair-friendly dwelling to rent and Fisher had allegedly said he had a property available.
She says Fisher took her to view a house in Nita Road four times and told her the rent would be R3 000.
She says she paid him a deposit of R10 000 and was supposed to move in on 1 October.
PAID: R10k deposit receipt
But when she went to the house a few days before, she met his girlfriend, who said he does not own the house.
The two then laid charges of fraud against Fisher.
Tanya says she got a skrik on Wednesday when the detective told her Fisher had been given a court date already.
“I was confused because the detective did not say whether he was arrested. All I know is that he will appear in Wynberg Magistrate's Court on 24 October,” she says.
“I don’t understand why he was released, and on the same day the story came out, I started to receive threats from private numbers telling me I must watch my back because he is very connected.
‘VICTIM’: Tanya Lombard shocked that ‘conman’ was released
“Today [Thursday] we woke up and my tyres were slashed. I am very unhappy, it looks like he is getting special treatment from the police.”
According to a senior police officer, the detective had bungled the case when he failed to arrest Fisher.
“Fisher went to the station to hand himself over and was supposed to be arrested. The fraud case is worth R10 000 and that means he must be in custody. They are only allowed to release him if it is R2 000 or less.”
Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirms a 50-year-old man was arrested and given notice to appear in court on fraud charges.