15-year-old among two arrested after aggravated robbery of ACG Strathallan pupils

The incident happened in Clevedon in rural South Auckland last month.

Two people have been arrested after pupils at a rural Auckland school were robbed by an armed trio last month while waiting to be picked up by their families.

On March 16, two men approached pupils of ACG Strathallan on Clevedon Rd in the rural Auckland village south of the city, demanding they hand over their money and mobile phones.

One of the men presented a gun during the robbery before fleeing with the pupils’ phones in a white or silver station wagon driven by a woman.

Police area commander for Counties Manukau South, Inspector Joe Hunter, said police executed two search warrants in Manurewa and Takanini this morning, resulting in the arrest of a 27-year-old female and a 15-year-old male.

Police recovered a BB gun at one of the addresses.

The ACG pupils had taken a bus from the private, co-educational school in Karaka to Clevedon.

They were waiting to be picked up by their family from Clevedon Village Hall, according to an email to parents after the incident from executive principal Danny O’Connor obtained by the Herald.

“While they were waiting, they were approached by three people who demanded their money and phones, and one of them revealed that they were carrying a gun,” his email said.

“Thankfully, the students involved in this incident are safe and weren’t physically harmed. This is a very serious incident which has been reported to the police.

“This is an unprecedented event, and we appreciate that this information will come as a shock to you, our students and the wider community.”

Hunter says he hoped the arrests would provide reassurance to the community that those who offend will be held to account.

“This is a great example of the police’s ongoing commitment to ensuring those responsible for these types of crime will be brought to justice,” Hunter said.

The 15-year-old male is due to appear in the Manukau Youth Court next week charged with aggravated robbery, and the 27-year-old female has been referred to an iwi community panel, police said.

“The investigation remains ongoing, and police can’t rule out further charges or arrests being made,” said Hunter.