Attribute to Detective Steve Leonard, Hawke¡¯s Bay Criminal Investigations Branch
A night-long crime spree across Hawke¡¯s Bay was unravelled by two boys¡¯ desire for lollies.
Between midnight and 8.45am on 15 July, the 13 and 14-year-old allegedly stole eight vehicles, tried to steal four others, committed a burglary and an aggravated robbery. The marathon sprawled from Napier to Hawke¡¯s Bay, leaving a trail of victims and damaged vehicles.
But it was a craving for sweets that led to their downfall at Te Awanga¡¯s 4 Square, at 10am.
There, a Senior Constable spotted the stolen car used during an aggravated robbery two hours earlier, when a worker at an Onekawa dairy was threatened with a tyre iron. As the terrified woman tried to hide in a cupboard, the offenders grabbed tobacco products, ice creams, lollies and a cash drawer, then fled.
The pair are due to reappear in the Napier Youth Court on 1 August. They face a number of charges stemming from the events on 15 July, while one also faces other charges relating to events in May and June.
While the arrests are positive, we¡¯re dismayed at the number of people who have become victims within a matter of hours. The trauma of being threatened while doing your job is unacceptable, and for some people, the loss of a car can have a profound impact on the life of them and their family.
This type of offending creates widespread harm in our communities, and we will continue to tackle it head-on.
We would like to remind the public to contact Police as soon as possible if you see suspicious or illegal behaviour. Call 111 if it¡¯s happening now, or 105 if it¡¯s after the fact.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
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