A shopkeeper was assaulted after giving chase to a thief who stole beef jerky from Pasadena Dairy in Pt Chevalier, Auckland. Photo / Google Maps
The victim’s husband, Prakash Patel, told the Herald that she wasn’t working at the dairy that night. She had just come home after shopping when she saw the thief running away with two boxes of beef jerky.
Patel said she gave chase and followed the youth down a neighbouring road where she caught up with him.
“After that the guy just had it [in] for my wife. He said, ‘Oh, you’re following me?’
“And then [he] opened the car door, and just punched her three times in the face.”
The attacker fled while the woman was left bleeding with cuts above her eye.
Patel said she was tended to by neighbours until an ambulance arrived 30 minutes later. He was told about his wife’s assault by a regular customer and immediately closed the shop.
“She’s very injured in her eyesight. She can’t open her eyes because of swelling and a bit of a cut in the eyebrow,” said Patel.
An image has been shared of the thief who assaulted a shopkeeper after she chased him for stealing beef jerky from Pasadena Dairy in Pt Chevalier, Auckland. Photo / Raj Patel
The shopkeeper said they did not recognise her attacker. This was the first time they had been involved in such a violent incident, Patel said.
“I’m a little bit scared now, because I have one little 4-year-old boy.”
He had since posted photos of the youth on social media asking for any information about his whereabouts.
The images show a youth with short, dark brown hair wearing a black jumper and a red shirt along with a black belt bag, brown knee-length shorts and black sneakers.
Darvill said the shopkeeper was treated for facial injuries and was in a stable condition.
He praised those who helped the injured woman moments after the attack.
“Police would like to acknowledge the members of the public who came to the victim’s aid shortly after the assault occurred, and contacted emergency services.”
Inquiries were ongoing to identify the offender, he said.
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