Police are hunting a man who attacked a young woman walking to work early on Monday morning in Hamilton West.
The 16-year-old garden centre employee was approached by a man in the carpark of the Frankton Palmers Garden Centre.
Constable Paul Slater said the man got out of
his car and approached the girl, calling her a "slut" and threatening to kill her.
"He has then threatened to stab the girl and told her he knows where she lives."
The attacker pushed the girl, who fell over and hurt her head.
Mr Slater said the man was Caucasian around 183cm tall, of skinny build, with a pale complexion and had a small scar on his left cheek close to his mouth.
"He has brown medium length hair cut in a bowl style and was wearing a black T-shirt with a heavy metal band on the front, black jeans with a rip on the right knee and a cheap pair of sunglasses with dark coloured wire and black mid calf length laced steel cap boots."
The man's car was a black Toyota Corolla, possibly a 1996 model, with a number plate starting with RJ or JR.
It also had a space saver tyre on the front left side, Mr Slater said.
The victim recognised the car, having seen it in the carpark before.
Police would like to hear from anyone who saw the car or the attack.
"Obviously this type of behaviour is considered very serious by police and we want to put a stop to it as quickly as possible," Mr Slater said.
- NZPA
