Youths arrested and ‘significant’ amount of stolen property recovered after Hawke’s Bay burglary spree

Hawke’s Bay police have made two arrests and recovered a “significant” amount of stolen property after a spate of burglaries while a man has been arrested for trespassing on a flood-damaged property in a separate incident.

Eastern District police said in a statement on Monday that Hawke’s Bay Police arrested two youths, aged 14 and 15, in relation to several smash-and-grab burglaries in the Napier area over the past week.

Officers said a service station in Clive was burgled on April 17, a retail premises in Napier was burgled on April 19 and a service station in Napier was burgled on April 21.

One of the youths will appear in the Napier Youth Court on May 25 on several burglary-related charges.

The other youth will appear in the Napier Youth Court on April 27.

”Police executed search warrants on 21 and 22 April, and a significant amount of stolen property was recovered. Enquiries also led to three stolen vehicles being located abandoned on separate streets,” the statement said.

”Enquiries are ongoing into the three incidents, which are confirmed to be linked. Police are not ruling out further arrests or charges.”

The statement said police are working through returning this property to its rightful owners.

”If you have any information which may assist with our enquiries, please contact Police on 105, either by calling or online at 105.police.govt.nz, using ‘Update Report’ and reference file number 230417/2874,” the statement said.

Meanwhile a 32-year-old is facing charges after the owner of a flood-damaged Eskdale property found a man in their house on April 23.

Police said in a statement on Monday that the homeowner was returning to salvage items when they found the man and called police immediately.

”Police located a man a short time later and took him into custody,” police said.

The police statement said the man was charged with “being unlawfully in a building and resisting Police,” and will reappear in the Napier District Court on April 26.

Further charges are pending.

”Police hope these arrests provide some reassurance to the public and we would like to reiterate to the community that this type of offending will not be tolerated.”