Floral tributes in the car park of Westfield Manukau. Photo / Dean Purcell
Interim name suppression has been granted to two men who have appeared in court today in connection with the death of Joanne Wang in South Auckland.
The accused, aged 19 and 22, are facing charges of being an accessory after the fact.
Mrs Wang, 39, died in hospital
after being knocked down by a 4WD at Manukau Westfield on Monday afternoon, just moments after a passenger of the fleeing 4WD had stolen her handbag.
The Crown has requested details of the case be suppressed as investigations are ongoing and any information made public may prejudice the case.
A similar suppression order was granted to a 19-year-old Otara man who appeared in court yesterday in connection with the case.
The accused will reappear in court on July 7.
Counties Manukau Police this morning said detectives were talking to the owners of a green people mover, who contacted police last night in relation to the case.
The green vehicle was believed to be in the carpark when a white 4WD vehicle hit Mrs Wang as she chased it trying to recover her snatched handbag.
Police said they still wanted to contact the driver of a red car which was also in the car park at the time of the assault on Mrs Wang.
The officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Inspector John Tims, yesterday said the three arrests made were positive and a sign the inquiry was moving forward.
But he would not say if police were getting close to the main offenders or what led them to the arrested men.
Mr Tims appealed again to the driver of a car that was struck by the 4WD at the time of the hit-and-run.
"The male driver of the red vehicle knows his vehicle was hit because he has got out of the car and inspected the damage," he said.
The 4WD that is believed to have struck Mrs Wang was found burning at the Manukau Sports Bowl near where the hit-and-run occurred. Forensic tests on the vehicle are ongoing.
Mrs Wang's funeral will be held next Saturday at the Manukau Memorial Park.
People with information are asked to call police on 0508 OP MANUKAU or 0508-676-2685.
- With NEWSTALK ZB
