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Johannesburg - A man allegedly responsible for throwing a brick through a car window on the N12 which put an 8-year-old boy into a coma is unstable, Johannesburg metro police said on Wednesday.
"Since the incident, JMPD is working closely with Saps and information received is that this suspect is mentally deranged. We have leads on the individual and at the moment we are searching for him," Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.
"JMPD is monitoring the bridge and Saps is searching for the man."
He said it was believed the man had earlier done the same thing, throwing a brick through the window of a Red VW Polo around 11:00 on Thursday.
Metro police responded but the man ran away when he saw officers coming. Metro police then stayed at the bridge to monitor the situation, and later on Thursday, as officers swapped for change of shift, the man again threw a brick at a passing car, injuring the 8-year-old boy.
Two other incidents
Minnaar said two other incidents, where a brick was thrown through a car window, occurred on the same day. However, these occurred in other parts of Johannesburg.
Netwerk24 reported earlier on Wednesday that the boy, Caden Slabbert, would be brought out of an induced coma.
Marionette Schwab, 42, was a second victim of the attacks. She was also hit in the head further down the highway, and was still in an induced coma.
Gordon Cooper, Caden’s stepfather, said on Tuesday that the process of recovery still had a long way to go, but the signs were at least good in the young boy’s case.
His sister Eden, 11, who was also in the car at the time along with their father Justin, was not injured in the attack on Thursday.
It occurred around 14:30 on a stretch of the highway near The Glen shopping centre.
Mondeor police station spokesperson Constable Sibongile Mguni said a case was opened on Sunday.
"A case was opened on May 2 and the investigating officer is taking statements form witnesses but no arrests have been made yet," she said.
Any person with information on the incident were encouraged to contact the police station.
