A night of ‘joyriding’ turned deadly for a young Asherville woman, after she was allegedly shot dead by her teenage ‘friends’, including a 14-year-old boy.
Tasneem Green, 24, was found slumped in the driver’s seat of a car at the John Dory Grounds in Newlands East on January 8. Her body was riddled with bullets.
Four days later and few hours before her funeral, an 18-year-old man, Blake Davids, and three teenagers, aged between 14 and 16, were arrested in Sydenham and Newlands East.
The arrests were made in a joint operation by Newlands police detectives, the investigating officer, Detective Warrant Officer Viresh, and the Hawks tracking team.
The accused who were charged with murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
According to a source close to the investigation, Green and the four accused had been out ‘joyriding’ from the evening of January 7.
“From about 10pm, Green, who was using her grandmother’s car, and the accused were believed to have been driving around in the Wentworth, Sydenham and Newlands areas, before parking off at the grounds during the early morning hours of Monday.
“It is alleged that an altercation ensued between the deceased and the accused about a gang from the area. The altercation escalated and Green was shot multiple times with a pistol. The accused fled on foot,” the source said.
The suspects were nabbed after they were seen on CCTV footage at a local garage, with Green.
The source said that Green was a witness in a murder case linked to a local gang.
Following her death, several pictures and videos of Green have emerged on social media. She is seen holding different calibre firearms while seated in vehicles.
Some of the images and videos appear to be from an Instragram account, tasneem_li_ – which has been shared extensively since Green’s murder.
A relative who did not want to be named, said they were aware of the negative media coverage, and misinformation circulating on social platforms.
“However, we acknowledge our inability to control these narratives.”
“Tasneem had a vibrant personality, thriving in social interactions and cherishing friendships. Unfortunately, this trait may have led her into a predicament and situations that could have been avoided.
“The intricacies of the relationships she forged during this short period remain unclear to us.”
The relative said the victim was someone who always wanted to help others.
“Her passion for aiding others extended to baby homes and animal rescue centres. Tasneem dedicated her time to the rhino sanctuary in Mpumalanga, driven by her love for animals, also leaving behind several rescued pets. She organised a Christmas celebration for orphans at a local baby home a few years back.”
The relative said Green, who delved into various fields and recently completed courses in beauty and reiki, was looking forward to her 25th birthday in February.
“Tasneem, like any young person, made both good and bad decisions, as no-one is perfect. Regardless, a life was lost and justice must prevail.”
Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson, confirmed Newlands police were investigating a case of murder.
-THE POST
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