Police warn more blood likely as gang wars escalate

A woman has told of the horror of seeing her friend mown down by a speeding car in Auckland and dragged 2km to his death - the victim of an apparent escalating gang turf war.

Faafetai Lafolua, a 24-year-old father of three, was hit by a car driven by men claiming to be members of a South Auckland gang and dragged through five Otahuhu streets. Police yesterday launched a homicide inquiry and urged the driver of the car, a Mitsubishi Chariot, to hand himself in.

Detective Inspector Steve Rutherford, head of Counties-Manukau crime investigation bureau, said it was the fifth homicide in the past six weeks in the area. He said the gruesome killing was an escalation of "turf wars" in South Auckland.

The shocked woman was drinking with Lafolua in Nikau Rd about 11pm on Friday, when he was hit by the car. Lafolua, said to have been a member of a gang called SPI (South Pacific Islanders) is believed to have been the victim of the gang's turf war with FMS (F.... Mangere Styles). "The car sped straight towards him... I kept yelling 'stop, my mate's under your car'," said the woman. "The driver was stuck and burning rubber... then I saw his shoes fly off and the guy burnt off. He [Lafolua] didn't say anything."

Lafolua had been drinking with the woman and about seven others, at a makeshift shrine to his friend Haruru Pekepo who was shot in a gang-related attack on July 16. The woman said the group was drinking when two cars showed up - its occupants started yelling the name of the F.... Mangere Styles gang. A man jumped from one of the cars and began beating Lafolua.

The woman said she intervened, smashing a golf club over the attacker and stabbing him with a broken vodka bottle. One of the cars was then driven directly at Lafolua and his attacker. The other man was knocked aside but Lafolua became lodged under the car. The car tried to drive off but was stuck.

Lafolua's friends smashed the driver's window and tried to steal the keys. Eventually the driver was able to speed off at about 80km/h.

Police said the car was driven extremely dangerously, speeding through Otahuhu on the wrong side of the road. At one intersection, the car's tyre marks indicate the driver had tried to dislodge Lafolua's body.

Further on, on Great South Rd, the car hit another vehicle. Lafolua's body was dislodged, and was found a short time later by members of the public.

A trail of blood and hair shows where Lafolua was dragged.

Lafolua, a talented rugby player who played for the Auckland primary school side in his youth, has left behind his partner of eight years, Helen Atitoa, and three children. He worked at Fletcher Aluminium and had completed a business course. He lived barely 50 metres from where he was hit.

Helen Atitoa said the couple had been planning to buy a house next year. She said Lafolua was not a member of any gang. "He was a kind-heartedperson and a great father."

Lafolua is unlikely to be the last gang death. Criminologist Greg Newbold said the turf wars in Auckland were getting worse. He said there had been a proliferation of smaller gangs such as FMS and SPI - a new breed modelled on gangs in Los Angeles.

Without patches or markings they are difficult to police. "You get rid of one and another three crop up."

Police are looking for two cars and at least three people involved in the death. The first car is a white Mitsubishi Chariot in good condition. It had chrome wheels, tinted windows and lowered suspension. The driver's window is smashed. The other car is a blue Subaru stationwagon or Mitsubishi Legmum. One of the drivers is Polynesian or Maori of heavy build. Police appealed to people with information on the cars or occupants to call 0508 NIKAU1.