Two youths have been arrested over an aggravated robbery in Whangārei that left workers and witnesses traumatised and the owner considering getting rid of tobacco products.
Around 5pm on Monday four knife-wielding youths robbed Tikipunga Gas in a brazen attack. At the time the manager at Gas Tikipunga, Kunal Sharma, was fixing the air hose outside the station when he heard his wife screaming out for him.
The pair had been working there for just over a week before experiencing what has become a regular occurrence at the local service station - a robbery.
“I just saw a car drive really fast by the window, and I just shouted ‘Kunal, Kunal”’ and then I pushed the panic button,” said wife Poonam Devi. In that moment of panic, she accidentally opened the doors.
She ran into a back room and locked herself in there, as two youths - estimated to be around 14 years old - brandished knives.