An infant child was taken hostage following a pay dispute involving a homeowner and an electrical contractor at a residence in Phase 5 in Waterloo – KZN.
Reaction Unit, South Africa (RUSA) Operations Center received a call from a member of public requesting assistance after the man had grabbed the child and locked himself in the house. The caller also stated that the man was in possession of a knife and feared that he was going to harm the child.
All available Reaction Officers were dispatched to the property and on arrival, it was established that the contractor arrived at the residence with his partner and child. During an argument, the homeowner grabbed the child and locked himself in the house.
Reaction Officers and members of the Verulam SAPS entered the home and located the child on the floor of an upstairs bathroom. The suspect had fled the home. The child was not injured.
Police are investigating further.