Elderly Auckland man has rocks thrown at him in unprovoked Browns Bay attack; 11-year-old arrested by police

Police said they shared the community’s concerns about the 'unacceptable behaviour'. Photo / NZME

• An 11-year-old boy has been arrested after rocks were hurled at an elderly man in an Auckland North Shore suburb.
• The incident, shared on a local Facebook group, sparked significant community discussion and concern.
• Police said they shared the community’s concerns about the “unacceptable behaviour”.

An 11-year-old boy has been arrested after allegedly hurling rocks at an elderly man in the Auckland North Shore suburb of Browns Bay.

A police spokesperson said they were aware of a “concerning incident” on Anzac Rd on Wednesday evening, during which an elderly man had rocks thrown at him.

The spokesperson said the incident had generated a “large amount of discussion” on a local community Facebook group.

The anonymous post to Facebook – about 6.41pm on Wednesday – shared a picture of four young boys, with the caption; “These kids went up behind a man sitting on the grass and threw rocks at his back. They’re swearing at passersby who tried to intervene.”

Commenters on the post alleged the group were involved in several other incidents in the Browns Bay community.

“Need to stand together as a community and do something when you see this happening,” one person wrote.

Police said they shared the community’s concerns about this “unacceptable behaviour”.

“Our Browns Bay Community Officers have since identified the young boy involved, an 11-year-old, and he has been apprehended,” the spokesperson said.

The boy was “being dealt with” through Youth Aid.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.