Public help capture man accused of assault

Information from the public is responsible for catching a man believed to be behind a serious assault in Te Kuiti last night, say police.

Te Kuiti Police found a man with serious head injuries by chance as they attended another job in the township about 7pm.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead this morning asked for public assistance to help find the person responsible, and this afternoon announced an arrest.

He said a 20-year-old Te Kuiti man was arrested and charged and will appear in the Hamilton District Court tomorrow.

"Thanks to information received from the community our officers made an arrest earlier today," he said.

The 45-year-old victim was now in a stable condition in Waikato Hospital.

The victim was found on Rora St by officers attending to reports of a street brawl nearby.

"Our officers arrived to deal with some locals fighting near the main street and came across an injured man lying a short distance away on Rora St," he said.

The two incidents were not connected.

Mr Whitehead said enquiries were ongoing and anyone with information can contact Te Kuiti Police on (07) 878 1450.