Six armed, masked offenders storm the Logan Park Foodmart diary at 69 Tawa Rd, One Tree Hill, Auckland, on Wednesday, August 16.
Video / Supplied
A “humble and hard-working” dairy-owning couple are traumatised after a group of masked, tyre iron-wielding assailants stormed their One Tree Hill store and smashed shelving and stock.
Security footage supplied to the Herald shows the shopkeeper at Logan Park Foodmart on Tawa Rd raising her hands above her head as she tells the offenders to take what they want to but spare her on Wednesday evening.
“This poor lady, the business owner, was swarmed [by the group] who were saying, ‘give us the money, give us the till, and give us cigarettes’,” Dairy and Business Owners Group chairman Sunny Kaushal told the Herald.
The video shows a man in a balaclava run through the door and smash two shelving units with a tyre iron, a tool for changing car tyres, as four other masked and hooded men walk in behind him.
The Logan Park Foodmart on Tawa Rd, One Tree Hill, was targeted by six tyre iron-wielding men on Wednesday, August 16 2023. Photo / Google
The shopkeeper gets up and tries to run away, but the offenders bound around the counter and approach her, one with his tyre iron raised above his head, ready to swing.
The shopkeeper waves her hands in terror, then clasps them to her head as she backs away. Meanwhile, others in the group smash a shelf again and knock stock off.
Four of the offenders rifle through cabinets behind the counter while the shopkeeper continues holding her hands above her head.
Meanwhile, the man who first ran into the shop, who had left, runs back inside and swings his tyre iron at two icecream freezers. His first swing fails to damage it, but the second and third smashes the glass.
He then looks back at the damage and nods his head in satisfaction.
A man in a balaclava runs through the door and smashes two shelving units with a tyre iron, a tool for changing car tyres, as four other masked and hooded men walk in behind him. Photo / Supplied
Police said the offenders stole cash, cigarettes and other items and fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, which officers found a short distance away on Moana Ave.
“Police investigations are continuing following an aggravated robbery at a commercial premises in One Tree Hill on Wednesday evening,” a police spokeswoman said.
“The victims are understandably shaken by the incident, but otherwise uninjured,” she said.
Police hadn’t tracked the offenders down yet, but were following positive lines of inquiry, she said.
She asked anyone with information which could help police to contact them via 105 and quote file number 230816/1412.
The man who first ran into the shop had left and then ran back inside, swinging his tyre iron at two icecream freezers. Photo / Supplied
“Information can also be provided anonymously via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111,” she said.
Kaushal has been supporting the business owners and said the couple’s son was extremely worried about his parents’ safety after the incident.
“This dairy is being run by a very humble [couple], who are so loved in their neighbourhood. And now these hard-working people have suddenly had these offenders with [tyre irons] attack them,” Kaushal said.
Kaushal said he was concerned the Victim Support non-governmental organisation had not contacted the business owners.
Kaushal was frustrated such offending was still happening and wanted offenders to face tougher consequences in the hope it would discourage them from offending.
“It’s never stopping,” he said, “and now we are obviously losing account of these kinds of serious incidents.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
