Night of Terror in Grand-Baie: South Africans Jump from Moving Car to Escape Attackers

A peaceful evening turned into a nightmare. On the night of October 17-18, a South African couple vacationing in Trou-aux-Biches was kidnapped and assaulted by fake taxi drivers in Grand-Baie. The main suspect, a 37-year-old man residing at Résidence La Cure, was arrested on October 21 by the Grand-Baie Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

It all began around 3 AM when the couple, returning from a night out, flagged down a parked car on the main road in Grand-Baie, believing it was a taxi. The driver was accompanied by a woman, and nothing seemed suspicious. After agreeing on a fare of Rs 200 to take them to Trou-aux-Biches, the tourists settled into the back of the vehicle.

However, at La Croisette, the mood shifted abruptly. The driver turned around and demanded an additional Rs 2,000, claiming the fare was higher. The 43-year-old South African IT professional flatly refused. At that moment, the driver veered off the main road towards Fond-du-Sac, taking a completely different route than agreed upon.

Panicked, the couple realized they were in danger. "I begged the driver to let us out, but he refused. The woman next to him tried to snatch my bag," the South African recounted in his statement. In a desperate reflex, he pulled the handbrake to stop the car, then broke the window in an attempt to escape. His partner managed to open the door, and without thinking, they jumped from the moving vehicle to flee into the night.

In the confusion, the woman accompanying the driver reportedly managed to steal a bank card and Rs 4,000 in cash from them. Injured and in shock, the couple found refuge in a nearby establishment before contacting the police in Triolet, who immediately launched an investigation.

Three days later, CID officers from Grand-Baie, supported by the Divisional Crime Intelligence Unit (DCIU) North, arrested the suspect. The 37-year-old man admitted to transporting the couple in his car but denied any theft allegations. The vehicle was seized for investigation purposes.

The victims positively identified the driver and the car. The suspect was detained and appeared in Pamplemousses District Court on Wednesday under a provisional charge of robbery with violence. His accomplice is still being sought.