Ōrewa attack: Mum rushing from Dubai after teenage son seriously assaulted in Ōrewa, police hunting vehicle

A person was assaulted by several people at Riverside Road, Ōrewa at 11.10pm and was transported to hospital in a “serious condition”. Photo / Paul Taylor

The mother of a teenager brutally assaulted north of Auckland last night is rushing to get a flight from Dubai to be by his hospital bed.

The 16-year-old was assaulted by several people at Riverside Road, Ōrewa, at 11.10pm and was transported to hospital in a “serious condition”.

Police said they were provided with a vehicle description that the alleged offenders left in.

“However, when police located that vehicle a short time later, the occupants did not match the description of those reported to be involved in the assault,” a police spokesperson said.

The victim’s mother, who did not want to be named, is currently stuck in Dubai, waiting for a flight to come home to her son.

She told the Herald that she believes it was a “completely random attack”.

“They attacked my son from behind, he was blind-sighted [sic]. My baby ... he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

She said the victim has a broken eye socket and head trauma, among other injuries.

“He does not look like the same kid.”

Police said inquiries remain ongoing to identify and locate those responsible for the assault.

Anyone with information that could assist police are encouraged to contact them and quote event number P062438912.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.