The violent deaths of Jo Pert and Cunxiu Tian just one week apart have sparked safety fears across Auckland, with figures showing a spike in calls reporting suspicious behaviour to police in the wake of the killings.
After Ms Pert's death on January 7, on a morning run in Remuera, police and criminal experts said another random homicide was highly unlikely to occur this year.
However, just one week later, police were hunting for the people or person responsible for killing Mrs Tian in her home on Te Atatu Peninsula in West Auckland.
A 24-year-old Mt Roskill man has been charged with Ms Pert's murder and is in police custody. A 19-year-old man was arrested last night and charged with the murder of Mrs Tian.
Residents spoken to by the Herald have said they are afraid living so close to the crime scenes, and a memorial run was held for Ms Pert for women to "reclaim the streets."
Acting Assistant Commissioner (Prevention) Dave Trappett said calls to police reporting suspicious behaviour spiked in the wake of the killings, and remained at higher than normal levels in the days after. Mr Trappett said he understood people's fears, but did not believe there was an increased risk to the public.
