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Police say an attempted abduction of a woman in Hamilton on Wednes-day night does not follow the pattern used by an alleged serial rapist they are hunting.
A Hamilton student used martial arts skills to fight off a man who tried to abduct her near the intersection of Caro St and Alexandra St in the central city about midnight.
She had been walking with a female friend when the passenger in a silver two-door Porsche-style car tried to drag her into the car by the arm.
The woman, who had some martial arts training, managed to land one solid blow to her attacker and escaped.
The two men in the car, which had no rear number plate, were described as skinheads. One was wearing a black hoodie.
Police were investigating links between this car and reports of a silver two-door Nissan Skyline acting suspiciously near the Alexandra St bars a short time earlier.
The alleged serial rapist police have been hunting in Hamilton was also reported to be driving a silver car, but inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Page said it was hard to say this incident was connected.
"There are some differences between this case and the attacks we are investigating as part of Operation Phil," Mr Page said.
"But we can't categorically rule out a connection. We will continue to investigate last night's events."
The Operation Phil investigation is looking for a rapist believed to have committed attacks on April 1, May 20 and July 1.
Women who had been out socialising in the downtown Hamilton area had accepted rides from a man who drove them away and subsequently attacked them.
- NZPA
