A teenager has been charged with murdering security guard Ramandeep Singh, the second arrest police have made over the death in Massey earlier this week.
Detective Inspector Aaron Proctor said a 17-year-old has now been charged with murder.
“Mr Singh’s family have been advised of the latest arrest.”
Police earlier revealed they believed there was more than one person present when Singh was killed.
Proctor said the arrest comes after a 26-year-old man, also charged with murder, appeared in court on Monday.
”With today’s arrest, two people are now before the courts in relation to the murder of Mr Singh.
”Our investigation team has been working hard, day and night, to bring justice for Mr Singh whose life was senselessly cut short while he was going about his job.
”We are continuing to piece together the events leading up to his murder in the early hours of Monday morning.”
Singh was killed at the Royal Reserve carpark on Beauchamp Dr in Massey, West Auckland and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His parents’ only son, he reportedly moved to New Zealand in 2018 to pursue higher education on a study visa after completing his schooling in India.
A video interview with the family shows a house packed with female mourners, many holding each other and sobbing. The men sit somberly in a separate room.
One female relative - who spoke with her eyes closed and barely able to hold her head up - said Singh used to call home every day.
On Tuesday, Armourguard general manager Shane O’Halloran confirmed the homicide victim was working for the company.
“It is with deep sadness that Armourguard confirms that 25-year-old Ramandeep Singh - a security patrolman working for the organisation via a contractor - was found deceased.
“We send our sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Ramandeep and are offering our full support to them during this difficult time.”
In a post on social media today, Armourguard said its community “has been shattered” by the sudden loss of Singh, who leaves behind a broken family and friends in mourning.
“For his parents, he wasn’t just a son; he was their only son, the pride of their lives.
“His death serves as a reminder of the risks our security personnel face every day when they go to work.”
Armourguard also shared more details about Singh, who was born and raised in the village of Kotli Shahpur in Gurdaspur.
The post said he had “dreams that extended beyond the borders of his homeland”.
“In 2018, with aspirations for higher education, he moved to New Zealand. His easy-going nature and genuine smile warmed the hearts of all he met.
“The pain of his loss ripples across continents. Where he once made a daily telephone call to his family in Kotli Shahpur, India there is now silence. His village mourns one of its brightest stars, while New Zealand grapples with the senselessness of it all.”
Armourguard is also contributing to the costs of returning Singh to his family in India, and has established a Givealittle page for his family.
If you have any information that may assist Police with our enquiries, please contact Police on 105 or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report and reference file number 231218/2235. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Once proud and hard-working, most Māori have no meaningful mahi.