KEY POINTS:
Two Bay of Plenty men who crashed a vehicle stolen 30 minutes after one was released on bail, robbed good samaritans who stopped to see if they were hurt, police say.
The Waimana-based two-man crime wave is testing their patience, Whakatane police say.
Police on Wednesday stopped a vehicle wanted in relation to several petrol station drive-offs, Senior Sergeant Bruce Jenkins said.
Drive-off petrol robberies had taken place all over the Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, Kawerau and Opotiki, he said.
One of the men in the car, a 24-year-old, was arrested for stealing petrol, Mr Jenkins said.
Bailed around 4.30pm, he and his accomplice allegedly stole a light commercial vehicle before 5pm.
Driving toward Waimana, 26km southwest of Whakatane, the men crashed into a ditch, and a group of women stopped to help.
"While these women helped to get the vehicle out of the ditch, one of the men has stolen their cellphones and iPods from inside their car," Mr Jenkins said.
"The stolen commercial vehicle was found burned-out in Waimana on Thursday morning."
- NZPA
