A badly injured Anfernee Cantzlaar, who was reportedly beaten after being caught in a woman’s house, was yesterday remanded to jail after being charged with breaking and entering a home with the intent to commit a felony.
The charge against Cantzlaar stated that during the night of August 28th, he broke and entered the South Ruimveldt house of Natasha Robinson with the intent to commit a felony.
According to the police’s case, Robinson had secured her home and retired to bed at around 8.30 pm. However, the woman was later awakened by a noise coming from the lower flat of the building.
After waking her sister, who was also in the house, Robinson ventured downstairs,where she found Cantzlaar. She subsequently raised an alarm by screaming, which resulted in Cantzlaar being apprehended by her brother and other public-spirited persons who heard her screams.
Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers noted that the injuries the man sustained came as a result of the residents’ attempts to subdue the would-be bandit before taking him to the police station.
However, Cantzlaar, who was unable to stand without assistance as a result of the injuries he sustained, told the court a different tale.
The accused related that he was exercising when a white van with several persons pulled up and started questioning him about the whereabouts of other individuals. He noted that after being unable to give the persons an answer to their satisfaction, they got out of the van and started beating him about the body with pieces of wood.
Cantzlaar explained that the beating continued as his attackers went on questioning him. He made further claims of being thrown into the van and driven around the area as his attackers stopped and asked persons “if they feel like they want exercise they hand.”
The man further stated that he subsequently ended up behind a house in South Ruimveldt, where the beating continued at the hands of the attackers while he was tied up.
City Magistrate Ann McLennan, after listening to all the accounts, remanded Cantzlaar to jail. He is expected to make his next court appearance before Magistrate Alex Moore on September 11th.
