Liquor store workers have been left shaken after a terrifying attempted robbery at a Rotorua Bottle-O store. / Thieves of Rotorua and Tauranga area Facebook
Liquor store workers have been left shaken after a terrifying attempted robbery at a Rotorua Bottle-O store.
On Tuesday three teens entered the Sunset, Rotorua Bottle-O on two occasions, one at 11am and the other around 1.30pm, hurling abuse at staff while trying to steal goods from the store.
Bottle-O store owner Dillon told the Herald that they called the police after two frightening incidents.
A group of teens allegedly attempted to rob a liqour store, hurling abuse and threatening staff members. Photo / Supplied
"These two girls started entering the store and my staff member stopped them and said 'You are underage, you cannot come in the store'. We respectfully tried to stop them but they forced their way into the store.
"After they forced their way in we asked them for their ID and the girl said 'Na, we've come here to rob you, I ain't going to show you ID.' The girls then started swearing at my staff and threatening them.
"We managed to get them out the store but then they tried to steal items from outside the door on display."
But the incident escalated when a brother of one girl entered the store to try to start a fight with the store worker.
The man can be seen getting in the face of the store worker, accusing staff of hitting his sister.
"He came charging in and started shouting, 'why did you hit my sister?'. We told him we never touched her, which the video backs up, but he just started swearing saying 'you bloody hit my sister'.
After I saw it unfolding I came into the store and the guy quickly left. Then he came back around 1.30pm and we called the police.
The man in the blue hoodie then hurled abuse at the liquor store worker before eventually leaving. Photo / Supplied
The staff member is "shaken" following the frightening ordeal, according to Dillon.
Following the incident, Dillon believed police could have handled the situation better and hit out at the behaviour of New Zealand youth.
"Police came and took them away and dropped them home. I phoned the police and said that's not good enough.
"New Zealand kids are out of control. Every time this happens, whether it's our store or dairies, the culprits are kids or teens."
Police told the Herald they were aware of the incident.
