Lolly stop unravels Hawke’s Bay teens’ crime spree - but not before eight cars stolen, dairy held up

The pair allegedly stole eight vehicles, tried to steal four others and committed a burglary and an aggravated robbery in close to nine hours.

Police say a night-long crime spree by two young teenagers across Hawke’s Bay was unravelled by the two boys’ desire for lollies.

Between midnight and 8.45am on July 15, a 13 and 14-year-old allegedly stole eight vehicles, tried to steal four others, and committed a burglary and an aggravated robbery.

The marathon, which began in Napier, left a trail of victims and damaged vehicles, Detective Steve Leonard said.

But it was a craving for sweets that led to their downfall at the Cape View Four Square in Haumoana, at 10am.

There, a senior constable spotted the stolen car used during an aggravated robbery two hours earlier, when a worker at an Onekawa dairy was threatened with a tyre iron.

Leonard said the terrified woman tried to hide in a cupboard as the offenders grabbed tobacco products, ice creams, lollies and a cash drawer, then fled.

The pair face a number of charges stemming from the events on July 15, while one also faces other charges relating to events in May and June.

Leonard said while the arrests were positive, they were dismayed at the number of people who had become victims within a matter of hours.

“The trauma of being threatened while doing your job is unacceptable, and for some people, the loss of a car can have a profound impact on the life of them and their family.

“This type of offending creates widespread harm in our communities, and we will continue to tackle it head-on. We would like to remind the public to contact police as soon as possible if you see suspicious or illegal behaviour. Call 111 if it’s happening now, or 105 if it’s after the fact.”