Daylight robbery at Tutukaka General Store. Video / Supplied
The robbery of the Tutukaka General Store took only 60 seconds.
Now it can be revealed that a trail of destruction led up to and away from the lightning raid.
A breakdown of events leading up to the robbery, which was captured on CCTV, and afterwards show how crime rarelyhappens in isolation.
The Northern Advocate has found that the car identified by the shop's manager as used by the robbers was stolen from Kensington about an hour before the robbery on July 9.
And before that, a house on the driveway where the car was stolen was burgled.
The owner of the burgled home, Michelle, said she believed the burglars had used a pathway from a reserve to access the back fence to her section, climbing over to get onto her property.
She came home to find a screen door ripped off its hinges and the glass door behind smashed. Inside, electronics, jewellery and other items were discovered missing.
Next door, Michelle's neighbour Natalie Marshall was having a "nana nap" about 2.30pm.
"I heard a lot of yahooing so I got up and had a look and I saw someone leaping over the fence," she said.
Nathalie Marshall, pictured with her dog Archie, was at home when her car was stolen out of her garage. Photo / Angela Woods
She ran out to her garage just in time to see the thieves reversing her red Kia. "I think I gave him a fright because he revved it and backed up into the fence," she said.
The young man then managed to turn the car and sped out of the driveway. Marshall headed to a neighbour's house to ask them to call the police.
When she checked later, the keys to her car - previously hanging on a hook in the house - were missing.
It is a half-hour drive from Marshall's house to Tutukaka where the robbery occurred about 50 minutes later.
"I could see instantly that the ranch slider had been smashed and the screen door was half in the lounge. I went outside [to Marshall] and I was like, they've robbed me as well."
She said she later realised they had taken her spare keys and would be able to get into her car.
The screen door was ripped off its hinges by burglars getting into the house.
The following Tuesday, Michelle's car was broken into. Fortunately, she had had the stolen key fob disabled, so that although someone could get into the car with the spare key, it would not start.
She said looked out the window and saw a figure inside the vehicle. "I opened the door and just screamed at him. And he bolted down the driveway."
Along with her keys, the burglars took electronics, jewellery and even her hair straightener and makeup, much of which she did not discover until later.
"I've had to ring about my car, ring the insurance people and the cops - I've had three days off work.
"I haven't really slept well, actually, especially after they came back the other night."
Marshall said she had spoken to the manager of the Tutukaka General Store, who found her car in Tikipunga the day after the robbery and reported it to police.
"They took it to the towing shop and I had to go and identify it," she said.
Marshall is still waiting for the insurance company to examine it, but had been told it was not too badly damaged, although she found it hard to tell as it was covered in fingerprint dust. Even so, she said she would likely sell the car now.
Michelle's window was broken by the burglars.
The area had not been dangerous in the past, Marshall said, and she had previously been happy to leave doors open while she was at home.
"I've been here seven years now and I've loved it. I've walked the dog at night and I haven't been scared."
Marshall said she had recently heard of a mugging in her neighbourhood and other car thefts. She was now locking all her doors even when she's home.
Former police officer and current Whangārei District councillor Gavin Benney said crime rarely happened in isolation.
"Series of burglaries committed by groups of people have always happened, but for different reasons," Benney said.
Police would not comment on the connection between the crimes in Kensington and the robbery in Tutukaka but said an arrest had been made.
"One person has been arrested in relation to the Tutukaka aggravated robbery and charges have been laid for unlawful taking," a police spokesperson said.
The person has been charged with both the robbery of the Tutukaka store and the burglary of the Parua Bay Four Square a day earlier.
