Four Hamilton youths arrested after two aggravated robberies in one night

Armed with a hammer and a crowbar, four youths raided two Hamilton businesses overnight. Photo / File

Armed with a hammer and a crowbar, four youths ram-raided two Hamilton businesses overnight.

Just before 10.30pm yesterday, police responded to the incident at a business on Barton St, where a car had been used to break in.

The group fled in another car, all the while being watched by the security team at the Hamilton City Council who quickly informed police of their whereabouts.

Police signalled for the car to stop once it was located, and deployed road spikes when it did not stop. Even though these were successful, this still did not deter the alleged offenders as they continued to try to get away.

The car chase ended once they crashed into a parked car a short time later. Uninjured, the group attempted to flee on foot.

One person was arrested at the scene, and the other three were tracked using the police dog team and were also arrested shortly after.

According to the Hamilton area manager for youth and community, Senior Sergeant Scott McKenzie, subsequent investigations determined the same group had been responsible for a similar raid just a few hours prior to the first.

Armed with weapons, the young group targeted a dairy on Avalon Drive at 7.30pm, stealing cash from the till before fleeing in a stolen vehicle.

McKenzie thanked the Hamilton City Council for assisting in getting the alleged offenders into custody.

“The ongoing relationship with the Hamilton City Council has enabled Police to receive information in real-time prompting an early response with critical information about the offenders and vehicle used,” McKenzie said.

“This was critical in the fast apprehension of those involved with the camera operator detecting the offending as it was happening.

”Police take ram raids and aggravated robberies seriously and investigate every reported occurrence and receiving real-time information from our partners and the community assists us in holding those who commit these offences to account.”

Continued vigilance behind the scenes is essential for keeping Hamiltonians safe and helping with arrests, according to the council’s director of city safe Kelvin Powell.

“Our team works hard to ensure that Hamilton is a safe and vibrant city, and it’s a 24/7 job,” said Powell.

”We’re committed to enhancing the safety of our city with investment into CCTV.

”We’re also pleased that with further support from central government, we’re able to continue to expand our CCTV network, and increase our ability to assist police with tracking and locating offenders in real-time.”

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.