Man lunges at woman with knife in 'random' Wainuiomata home invasion

Anyone with information on the "bizarre" incident is urged to contact police. Photo / File

Police are looking for information following a "random" home invasion in Wainuiomata in which a "dirty and grubby" man lunged at a woman with a knife.

The woman opened her door on Westminster Rd about 8.30am on September 17 to find the man on her doorstep with a weapon, Hutt Valley area prevention manager Inspector James McKay said.

"A female was at home and there was a knock at her door and yeah, she was approached by a male who said 'give me your money', and this male was armed with a knife."

The man lunged at her but the victim was able to fight him off, after which he fled the scene.

She was not injured and nothing was stolen.

More than three weeks on from the terrifying incident, police have not been able to locate or identify the offender, described as being caucasian or of mixed race, in his early 20s, about 160cm tall, with a slim build and tanned skin.

He was "dirty and shabby in appearance".

McKay said the offending was "random" and "bizarre", but that there had been no reported incidents in the weeks since it has happened, so police believed it to be isolated.

In a post on Facebook, a woman believed to be the victim said she had experienced a "serious violent home invasion".

She said a man dressed all in black and wearing a black hoodie "barged" into her and slashed at her arm with a knife.

"He didn't get in and then ran," she wrote.

Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact police, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.