Trio break into popular food truck in Hastings. Video / Shani's Rib Trucks
The tool kit for catching criminals has now been expanded to include flame-grilled ribs.
A popular food truck run by renowned Hawke’s Bay rib restaurant Shani’s was broken into in Hastings late on Wednesday night.
Three alleged offenders were caught on camera raiding the truck.
Owner of the business, Shani Ehlers, shared the footage on social media in an attempt to identify the culprits and offered a generous serving of their trademark ribs in exchange for information.
By Friday morning, the suspected identity of two of the alleged offenders had been provided to Ehlers and handed on to police.
“Police have been notified and are investigating this matter,” a police spokesperson said, of the break-in.
“No arrests have been made at this stage but there are lines of inquiry being followed including the assessment of CCTV footage, which is always great to assist investigations.”
The spokesperson said anyone with information should contact police and, in general, they “do not recommend taking matters into your own hands”.
Shani's Rib Truck being raided in Hastings on Wednesday night. Photo / Shani's
Ehlers said the information she had been supplied by the public had been passed onto police “and they will obviously do their investigating”.
“We are pretty sure we have a very clear ID on the two women.”
She said there was a $109 family feast from Shani’s on offer in exchange for information regarding the identity of the third alleged offender, whose face was covered in the CCTV footage.
Ehlers thanked the community for their support and said she had not seen a food bounty issued in exchange for information before.
“We haven’t seen it before but we just figured the internet can work in very powerful ways,” she said.
“We sort of figured that if someone is able to help identify the people we would like to give them a little something in return.”
Goods that were stolen included a cash register, Eftpos machine, receipt printer, a security camera, a box of coke, and one Powerade.
“The cameras are especially expensive.
Shani's Rib Trucks operate around Napier and Hastings. Photo / NZME
“Luckily, we have insurance, but it is more the moral of the thing. There is so much of this going on and a lot of times people aren’t found.”
The business has four food trucks which operate around Hastings and Napier as well as Shani’s Restaurant in Taradale.
