In today’s headlines with Chereè Kinnear, Lulu Sun’s Wimbledon run ends, Woolworths assaults surge and Chris Luxon engages in key meeting in DC. Video / NZ Herald
An Auckland jewellery store owner was in the process of closing down his business due to rising crime when he was targeted in a violent raid.
Two teens, aged 15 and 17, have been arrested after they used hammers to smash the cabinets of Onehunga Jewellers, leaving glass covering thefloors and the owner “shaken”.
The store owner, who did not want to be named, said he was shaken after the incident.
The store was hit during a closing-down sale, a decision made after several attacks over the last few months.
He had owned the store for six years, but the business has existed for much longer.
“This was the worst attack so far.”
This morning, staff were cleaning up large shards of broken glass that covered the floor. Glass from the cabinet tops showed extensive damage where a hammer had rained down blows.
The owner was trying to sell the last of his stock when he was targeted by the alleged offenders. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Auckland City CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Armstrong said a “large amount of jewellery was stolen”.
Police arrested the pair of alleged offenders after a dramatic 40-minute police chase across Auckland, where their getaway vehicle was spiked twice and only ended when the vehicle crashed.
Inspector Rob Carpinter said police responded to an incident at a jewellers on Onehunga Mall, Onehunga about 4.11pm on Tuesday.
As the pair fled, Armstrong said they were tracked by the police helicopter.
The Eagle tracked the vehicle from Papakura through Manurewa and onto Roscommon Rd, Wiri, where police tried to stop it for the first time.
Armstrong said they did not try to pursue the vehicle initially.
Staff clean up the damage done by the alleged offender's hammers. Photo / Jason Oxenham.
The getaway vehicle collided with another car as it travelled towards the Southwestern Motorway.
Armstrong said no one was injured in the collision.
As they tried to enter the motorway, Armstrong said police deployed spikes for the first time.
“Eagle has continued to observe the vehicle’s erratic driving on the motorway,
