Paraparaumu shop owner humbled by community support after brazen attack

Rachelle Frazer in front of her shop which was targeted by a robber.

A hammer-wielding robber has taken the gloss off a Paraparaumu jewellery shop's fifth birthday celebration.

Kāpiti Jewellery Design and Manufacturers owner Rachelle Frazer was in the shop yesterday at 3.35pm discussing a ring resize with a female customer who was visiting the shop for the first time.

But then Rachelle saw someone running outside coming directly to her shop.

As soon as the person was coming through the front entrance, wielding a large hammer and yelling, Rachelle shouted at them to get out.

The menacing robber went directly to a glass cabinet containing men's sovereign rings, and more, and used the hammer to smash his way in.

Rachelle felt the shop had been scoped earlier and the robber knew exactly what to target.

As the cabinet was being broken into, the customer managed to rush out of the shop, across a carpark without looking, and call the police.

With the robber filling some sort of bag, Rachelle grabbed a portable eftpos machine and started swearing at the intruder.

"He went to pull the hammer out of the cabinet but it got caught and broke."

The targeted cabinet with hammer inside.

After a few more grabs for jewellery, the robber started to leave, with Rachelle yelling at him and getting closer.

"He didn't have a hammer anymore.

"When he got to the door he turned back and started yelling and waving his arms at me so I wouldn't follow him out the door."

She said the man got into a car [maroon coloured sedan style] which had a woman driver before the pair drove away.

"CCTV footage has seen them earlier backing into a carpark in front of a shoe shop next door to my shop."

The robber was described as tall, thin, hunched, Māori, wearing loose clothing and a one-piece brightly coloured snood partially covering his face.

Rachelle said she had heard of wider criminal activity at the time.

"Michael Hill Jeweller, in the Coastlands mall, had some sort of issue.

"When I got out of the door, the manager from Michael Hill and two security guards were standing there.

"They hadn't seen what had happened in my shop but were looking for someone."

Aftermath of the aggravated robbery.

Police were at her shop, which is in the Kāpiti Lights shopping precinct, within a few minutes.

She estimated the theft and damage was in the vicinity of $40,000.

Some of the stolen items included two sovereign rings, a sapphire ring, a ruby ring, and an aquamarine diamond ring.

It had been a harrowing experience for Rachelle.

"I couldn't sleep that night.

"It's like when someone breaks into your house – it's so invasive.

"It's really sad that someone would do this and especially at this time when people are struggling.

"I had made some of that jewellery including the sapphire which was from a mine in Thailand that has closed.

"And what would he have done if his hammer hadn't broken because he was definitely violent."

Rachelle, who a week earlier had to be admitted to Wellington Hospital after feeling like she was having a heart attack, has been humbled by community support.

"We've had several bunches of flowers from people and businesses, and the landlord and cops have been really good."

Police were investigating and have asked anyone with information or dashcam footage to call 105 and quote file number 220223/6800.