An Auckland dairy owner who lost her husband less than a month ago almost had heart failure when she heard her shop of 14 years had been raided a sixth time.
Ōtara’s East Tāmaki Super Market has been a victim of armed robberies and smash-and-grab-style burglaries in the past few months.
This morning a group of robbers ram-raided the shop using two cars.
Distraught owner Helen Costa, whose husband died less than a month ago, says when she heard the devastating news it sent chills down her body and it felt as though her heart would stop.
“I had severe heart palpitations. I felt like my heart is going to fail. I am shaking and I couldn’t even speak to the police. I am in shock,” she told the Herald.
“We never thought this would happen to us, we have such a good community; everyone knows us so we never expected it to happen to us but now it has.”
Costa and her daughter received a call from their security company around 4.53am, and police were notified immediately.
Speaking from outside the scene, Costa said the incident had come at an already shattering time.
“I have recently lost my husband to cancer. He used to run the shop with me, but now I am the only one here. He was my support. I took over to pay our bills. I work 14-16 hours sometimes with the help of my children to make ends meet. Most of my customers also know our situation.
“I am mentally feeling beaten. We came here from Bangladesh to have a safe life but now this has just made us feel very insecure. It was not like this before.”
Costa said the family-run business had been in the community for 14 years, so pack up and leave was not an option.
“This is heartbreaking. We started this business in 2009. We can’t just up and leave.
“I am really angry at them [thieves] they should not do this. We are working so hard, we pay tax, we are helping our communities. We feel helpless.”
The front roller door and sliding glass door had been destroyed completely, Costa said.
“It would cost us at least $30,000 to get it fixed. They have also stolen both our tills, we haven’t been able to go inside yet but from the security camera, we can see these items are gone.
“We have fog cannons as well. The only thing we were still getting our landlord to get us were bollards. He said he would get them but did not know how or when.
“If we had the bollards maybe this would not have happened.
“I am in a lot of stress. I just don’t know where to get help.”
Costa said the system needed to change.
“We need stricter laws, better assistance for business owners because we are just left to fend for ourselves.
“We don’t know what to do. Our shop is open, and even with wooden boards it doesn’t feel secure. We are really lost, not having my husband everything is just going downhill for me.
“It is just really hard.”
A police spokesperson said officers were making inquiries after a burglary of a premises on East Tāmaki Rd, in the early hours of the morning.
“Shortly before 5am, police received a report of a burglary in which a vehicle had been used to gain access to the premises.
“Police attended but the offenders had fled, inquiries are ongoing to locate them.”
Police appreciated the distress that ram raid-style burglaries and aggravated robberies had been causing retailers and communities, the spokesperson said.
“We recognise that this has a direct impact on the safety, well-being, and health of retail workers and customers in New Zealand and we are focused on reducing this type of harm in the community, with our partner agencies.
“Police will respond to incidents, investigate and work hard to hold offenders to account.”