A 15-year-old schoolgirl received some cuts and scrapes as she was dragged around the pavement outside her family's Napier dairy in an opening-time robbery yesterday.
Detective John McGregor, of Hawke's Bay CIB, said last night he still wasn't sure whether the girl had refused to let go of the bag containing the shop's cash or had been unable to free herself as the robber struggled with her outside the Wycliffe Dairy soon after 6.30am.
The incident happened as the girl arrived with her brother to open the shop, and the robber grabbed the bag. He fled with it pursued by a member of the public who had come to the teenager's aid.
The member of the public was understood to have lost contact with the robber in Oldham Ave, a short distance from the shop, which has been the target of other robberies and which was a retailer of legal highs until law changes last year.
Police later apprehended a man at a suburban residential address.
Aged 34, he was in custody overnight and is due to appear in Napier District Court charged with robbery.
Mr McGregor said the girl had some abrasions, but did not need medical treatment.