Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him with the robbery of an 80-year-old woman on Whangarei's Islington St on Tuesday.
Detective Constable Aaron Crawford said the youth was arrested after police executed a search warrant at a Whangarei house yesterday evening and found property allegedly belonging to the woman.
He
was due to appear in the Whangarei Youth Court today charged with robbery.
More charges could follow, Mr Crawford said. The attack on the elderly woman - who has two hip replacements and was walking with a cane - took place in broad daylight at 4.30pm.
In a separate incident, a 61-year-old grandmother was out walking with her 10-week-old grandson a few days earlier on the same street when she was knocked unconscious to the ground and robbed.
Mr Crawford urged anyone who saw the attacks or any suspicious activity in the Kensington area to call Whangarei police or him directly on (09) 430-4570.
He also encouraged women out walking alone around Whangarei to be extra vigilant.
"We are urging the public to be careful in the Islington St area and wider Whangarei.
"We don't think there have been any similar incidents over the last six months but these two attacks really serve as a wake-up call."
