Thabo Batlhopi, 22, lost his mother’s Toyota Axio to a car thief who tricked him into helping move the car from a partially blocked parking lot in the early hours of Saturday morning after a night of fun and drinking at Lizard Entertainment last Friday night.
When explaining what happened on the day of the incident, the Tati-Siding man said he had parked his mother’s car by the nearby restaurant and that upon exiting the club, he discovered that it was blocked by other cars with only a small space that needed careful manoeuvre, but was too tired to concentrate and an unknown man offered to help.
“I had no idea he was a car thief. I only saw someone who saw me struggling to get my car out of the parking lot and decided to assist me,” Batlhopi said.
According to Batlhopi, he then got out of the vehicle to help direct the stranger to exit the parking spot.
The thief then succeeded in moving the car out of the parking lot, but instead of parking by the roadside and handing back the vehicle to Batlhophi, he is said to have sped off.
Batlhophi’s mother, Dichauto Ramolefe, confirmed that she had lent her son the car so he could perform some errands. “I appeal to anyone who can help us with any information that can help us locate the car to kindly do so and report any suspicions to the nearest police station,” she said.
Francistown Central Police Station Commander, Mogomotsi Kesupile, confirmed that they are indeed investigating a vehicle theft incident that occurred near Lizard Entertainment. “A man came to us crying, saying that a car thief stole his mother’s car while he was assisting him to move it from a parking lot. We appeal to the public to keep an eye out for a silver grey Toyota Axio and report it to any nearest police station if they see it,” Kesupile said.
The police chief advised the public against trusting strangers with their belongings to avoid such incidents.
He said the vehicle was last seen heading towards Matsiloje.
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