Petrol station owner hunts down brazen robbers
July 13, 2007 Edition 4
Botho Molosankwe

No one messes with petrol station owner Peter Raschel. His customers. Or their property.

Two men who tried to steal a customer's car at Raschel's Pinehaven business on the West Rand yesterday learned that the hard way when the 30-year-old
pursued them in peak-hour traffic, shot one of them and handed both over to the police.

Raschel told The Star today how he was still amazed by the pair's audacity in carrying out such a robbery - and during peak-hour traffic.

The drama started at 3.15pm when a Botswana man stopped at Raschel's Sasol Pinehaven to fill up. He left his Toyota Corolla with a petrol attendant and
went into the shop. Suddenly, two appeared from nowhere, pushed the attendant away and drove out of the petrol station with the man's car.

The attendant ran into the store to tell his boss what had happened. Raschel, who at the time was with another employee, Joseph Maboye, leapt
into his car and the two chased after the thieves. With peak-hour traffic heavy on the N14, it was not easy following them. But
a few kilometres ahead, the anti-hijacking device in the Corolla kicked in, bringing the car to a halt.

"I found them looking under the dashboard to figure out what had stopped the car. And as we came closer, one of them produced a gun and Joseph shouted
that I should be careful. Since I also had a gun, I fired the first shot and the two got out of the car and started running. I shot one through the arm," said Raschel.

Within minutes, police arrived and the two men were arrested. Raschel had called the police soon after the theft.

Raschel said he had chased the men on impulse. It was only later that he realised how dangerous his action was.

"But I could not sit back and do nothing," he said.

"I think the robbers were shocked . They did not think someone would react.

I am not happy to have shot someone but I gave him the opportunity to surrender but he did not.

"I had to think of my safety and am happy that they are in jail," Raschel said, adding that he has beefed up security at his garage.

"The theft showed that if they cannot rob the store they'll rob customers ... and I cannot let them do that."

One suspect is in police custody, the other is under police guard in hospital.