The robber was seen running down nearby Chatham Avenue, in Mt Albert, (above) just after 7pm. Image / Google
A man getting some groceries at the local dairy has described the harrowing moment a robber pushed him aside to jump over the counter - as the shop owner was holding his baby.
The offender, said to be just over 182cm tall, was wearing a plastic blue mask and a hooded jersey when he burst into the Mt Albert shop, on Martin Ave, just before 7pm last night.
He was also holding a knife.
"I just felt someone behind me and then he was pushing me to the side before he jumped the counter.
"And the poor shop keeper who was serving me - her husband was carrying their 6-month old daughter."
The man, who asked not to be named, rushed to help the couple and their baby girl out from behind the counter and outside to safety.
"I think they were just more worried for the baby."
The local said to try and get the robber out of the store, he suddenly yelled out: "The cops are coming, the cops are coming!"
Police were called immediately as the masked man ran out of the store and down towards nearby Chatham Ave.
"He didn't say a word," the local man said.
"He just ran out. He didn't have a bag. I think it was just cash [he was holding]."
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Brand, of the Auckland Crime Investigation Bureau, confirmed this morning that police were investigating an aggravated robbery at the store.
"At around 6.55pm, a man has entered the store and approached the staff holding a knife.
"The man has jumped over the counter and forced open the till, before taking a quantity of cash."
The male shop owner told the Herald this morning that the incident was very "scary".
He said they had managed to capture CCTV footage of the incident and had passed it on to police.
He acknowledged that many locals had already turned up early this morning to offer their support.
A police spokeswoman said last night that officers were called at 7pm about the robbery of a shop on Martin Ave.
"It appears that a male took off with some cash. We are not sure how much at this point," she said.
"Naturally the owners will be quite shaken up. We haven't been able to locate the offender just yet. We are following it up. The Eagle [helicopter] was involved," she said.
"It looks like they [the owners] gave us a general direction of where they thought the offender went. They are looking in that general direction near the motorway."
A post on the closed Mt Albert Community Facebook page said the owners were left "very shaken" as they were holding their baby daughter at the time.
"Police helicopter out now looking. Feel very sad for them. They are such a wonderful and important part of our community."
Another resident posted: "So that's why I heard a police car race up the cul de sac and back down again and the helicopter is doing loops over our street ... they've been robbed a few times since taking over not that long ago.
"What a terrible thing to happen again."
Other locals described the couple who own the dairy as "wonderful people" who took over the business after the previous owner was also robbed.
"That family deserves flowers. What a horrible experience," one man commented.
The woman who first posted the news responded: "I'm going to drop off a gift to them tomorrow."
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the man or anyone acting suspiciously in the area, around that time, to contact authorities immediately.
Can you help? Contact Auckland City Crime Squad on (09) 302 6557 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.