Pizza pinched by alleged thief in ‘mini crime spree’ across West Auckland

• A man has been arrested after a “mini crime spree” involving robberies and a burglary across Waitakere.
• Pizza and cash were stolen from a delivery driver.
• The 20-year-old is charged with three counts of aggravated robbery and one burglary with a weapon.
• Police found the man hiding at a West Auckland property.

A man has been arrested after an alleged “mini crime spree” that included a pizza delivery driver being threatened and robbed in a West Auckland driveway.

Police have been investigating aggravated robberies and an aggravated burglary in Rānui.

Detective Senior Sergeant Megan Goldie said a supermarket in Rānui was targeted on April 26 and again on April 29.

“Police had been making progress in identifying a person of interest in our inquiries, including a further aggravated robbery on 29 April where a delivery driver was targeted,” she said.

“The driver had arrived in a driveway and was allegedly threatened before having a small amount of cash and pizza stolen.”

At 7.30pm on Wednesday, another aggravated robbery was reported, on Swanson Rd.

“It was a near identical report of a delivery driver being threatened, with a small amount of cash and pizza being stolen, on the same street,” Goldie said.

“Waitematā Crime Squad attended the area and began making inquiries at another address.

“A man initially hid from police inside a property before jumping out a window and running.

“One of our detectives was hot on his heels and quickly got the offender in custody without further incident.”

The man will appear in the Waitakere District Court today. Photo / 123rf

The 20-year-old man has been charged with three counts of aggravated robbery and one charge of committing a burglary with a weapon.

“It’s a pleasing outcome for us and the community, and I acknowledge the detectives working on these files in recent days,” Goldie said.

“Police will be opposing this man’s bail, and there’s no doubt that further offending has likely been prevented from occurring.”

The man is scheduled to appear in the Waitākere District Court today.

Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 19 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz