2 suspects netted in connection with murder of Junior Phalane (5)

JOHANNESBURG - Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder of five-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane who was shot during a hijacking in Soshanguve.

A third suspect is yet to be nabbed.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni made the announcement on Thursday morning, while providing an update on the matter.

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Mtombeni said both suspects were found in Soshanguve.

"One of the locations is a house. The suspect was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and the other location we also found a second suspect not too far from the crime scene."

THIRD SUSPECT AT LARGE

He added that there was a third suspect on the run.

"It is believed that the other suspect who is not arrested based on the lead of information as we pounced on that house, but we couldn't find the suspect but we found his vehicle," said Mthombeni.

He said the vehicle was reported stolen in Mabopane.

At the same time, two firearms have also been confiscated from the suspects who are behind bars and will be taken for ballistic testing.

Mthombeni said one of the firearms was already been identified as a weapon that was used during a hijacking in Akasia in 2022.

The vehicle that was stolen from the five-year-old's father is yet to be recovered.

Phalane was killed last week, while his father was being hijacked outside their home.