KEY POINTS:
When North Shore parking warden Jane Watts saw a hooded teen wrestling a fruit-and-veggie shopkeeper for the till she didn't hesitate to take action.
Armed with a chalk stick, which is normally used to mark car tyres, Ms Watts rushed at the teenager and hit him across the back to make him let go of the woman shopkeeper.
The blow was enough to make the teen drop his hands, let the woman go and, after swearing at Ms Watts, run out the door.
The parking warden's actions have won praise from the police who say she not only prevented the contents of the till being stolen but also saved the woman from further injury.
"This lady has jumped in and has had no concern for her own safety," said Sergeant Greg Ander. "I think she has been quite brave."
Ms Watts, who has been a parking warden for nearly eight years, said she was on duty along Huron St in Takapuna when she heard screaming coming from the fruit-and-vegetable store just after 2pm on Monday.
"When I got there, I saw a young Maori guy who was grabbing [the shopkeeper] and trying to take the till. She was screaming and trying to hold on to it.
"He was pushing her around a bit. It looked like he was going to hit her - his hand was raised in a fist.
"I just ran in and hit him on the back with my chalk stick and grabbed him and pulled him off her."
During the struggle, Ms Watts was pushed "out of the way" by the teen but she refused to budge.
"He turned around and looked at me and [swore] and then he and his accomplice ran off."
Ms Watts was left with a sore leg after the teen pushed her into a vegetable shelf.
But, after giving police a statement, she continued with her work for the day.
The Cambodian shopkeeper, who did not want to be identified, was left with bruising on her hand and a sore chest from being hit before Ms Watts arrived.
Speaking through her daughter, she said she was grateful to Ms Watts for her help and wanted to thank her for intervening.
"She is a kind person. Without her help, I would have been more injured and he might have gotten away with the till."
Ms Watts is somewhat of a reluctant hero and says she cannot understand what the big deal is.
"It was just someone who was in need of help so you help them," she said.
"That's what you do, it's part of everyday life."
Mr Ander said police were still looking for the teen and his accomplice, who was seen standing outside the store.
Both were believed to be Maori, aged about 16 or 17 and of slim/athletic build. The teen who entered the store was wearing blue jeans and a red hoodie with the hood up and a baseball cap underneath. His accomplice also wore blue jeans, which were tucked into rugby socks.
Mr Ander said it was believed the teens had come to the North Shore from another part of Auckland.
Anyone with information is asked to contact him on 486 8600.
