A deadly daylight attack in suburban Auckland has led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man, who has been charged with murder and other offences.
The arrest and imminent court appearance stems from a Friday afternoon attack that took place on a residential street in Mt Wellington.
The man will appear in the Auckland District Court on Monday.
But the investigation has not finished there as police continue to investigate the attack that left residents and workers at the nearby strip of shops horrified and stunned.
The man’s death came after an altercation on Harris Road. The Herald understands the man who died was riding a motorcycle along the road when it was struck by a hatchback travelling in the same direction.
The Herald has been told that the man was knocked from his motorcycle after which he was set upon.
The man turned up at a medical centre on Lunn Road – less than a kilometre away – a few minutes later, seeking urgent medical attention at around 12.15pm.
Police said he had suffered critical injuries after being attacked with a sharp object on Harris Road.
The man was rushed to Auckland City Hospital but died later that afternoon despite efforts of medical staff.
The coroner has ordered there be no publication of the dead man’s name and other personal details while the police investigation is under way.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the nature of the attack was different to many police handled because of when and where it took place.
He visited the scene on Friday, telling the Herald he considered the quiet residential street thinking: “This is a suburban neighbourhood. How can this happen in broad daylight? How can this happen?”
The hatchback was tracked by police to Laud Avenue in Ellerslie, where forensic teams carried out an examination.
Beard said police inquiries extended beyond the man who was arrested.
“Police have been speaking with people as part of early inquiries, including residents around the two scenes we have cordoned off.”
Beard said the investigation team had worked long hours and while one person had been arrested, there was a commitment to hold to account all those involved.
The inquiry so far had included police speaking to those where the incident occurred and around Laud Ave, Ellerslie, where the blue Nissan March hatchback involved was later found.
“A CCTV phase will form a large part of the investigation. Police are still seeking any witnesses and are looking at any new avenue of inquiry.
“Scene and forensic examinations have been conducted at a number of scenes over the weekend.
“The violence, especially at that time of day, is concerning and we’ve dedicated a large number of resources to the investigation in order to track down those responsible.”
Beard said the police could not comment on elements of the case because of operational security.
“We have been working at pace to find those responsible and hold them to account for this violence.
“Detectives are pursuing every lead available to us. I know members of the community have a lot of questions about what happened and why, and we’re working as hard as we can to get those answers.”
Beard said the suburb would see a greater police presence than usual while the inquiry was under way.
He said anyone who witnessed anything that might be relevant, or who might have dashcam or other CCTV footage, should come forward.
Those wanting to contact police on the matter could do so through 105 using the reference number 251205/6107 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
David Fisher is based in Northland and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, winning multiple journalism awards including being twice named Reporter of the Year and being selected as one of a small number of Wolfson Press Fellows to Wolfson College, Cambridge. He joined the Herald in 2004.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.