St Lukes mall heist: Mother and children left traumatised witnessing brazen jewellery store robbery

An Auckland mother said she is scared to take her children shopping after witnessing a brazen daylight robbery at Westfield St Lukes.

The woman and her children aged just 7 and 10 years old were walking through the mall yesterday when they saw a group of up to eight masked "teenager boys" smashing cabinets and stealing jewellery from Stewart Dawson.

She said the group were wielding batons, metal pipes and other weapons.

"I was shocked, my kids were crying and I stood there traumatised and speechless," she said.

"I rushed my kids and ran back to Kmart where I settled them down with some of the toys I bought them.

"It was horrific for them to see, they kept asking me 'what's happening mummy' and told me 'I want to go home' bawling their eyes out."

The woman said it was frightening how confident and "gutsy" the group appeared.

She called on the Government to do more to catch and prosecute youth offenders.

Five police officers stand outside the store, talking to clearly shaken witnesses of the attack. Photo / Rachel Maher

"I'm afraid to take my kids to the mall now and I'm scared myself of going to public shops by myself."

She said the group were chased out by other shoppers and staff, a moment that was captured on video.

In the video on social media, around 10 people can be seen chasing the masked men as they make their getaway from the mall's car park.

One person is also seen jumping on to the boot lid of the car.

Earlier, a retail worker at the mall told the Herald they and others are very nervous and anxious today after the brazen daylight robbery at the mall.

The retailer said mall management had been asking retailers how they were doing after the robbery.

"Fortunately, I wasn't here last night. I finished work earlier than that but my colleague rang me and said it was awful," they said.

"My husband certainly said to me this morning 'watch yourself down there'."

They said they had seen police around the mall this morning, but hadn't particularly noticed an increase in security.

They said they were disgusted with the number of ram raids and burglaries occurring.

"The whole thing is just a disgrace, the Government, what's going on, people getting away with it, kids wandering around like lunatics and nothing happening to them.

"It's sad, it's just really sad in our country."

A group entered the Stewart Dawson's jewellery store inside Auckand's Westfield St Lukes on Tuesday, smashed cabinets and took items before fleeing. Police are investigating. Photo / Supplied

Armed police and emergency services responded in significant numbers after the robbery.

Frightened shoppers ran for cover and others were threatened by the men, whose faces were all covered, said witnesses.

The offenders entered the jewellery store on the upper level of the mall about 5pm, smashing cabinets with batons and snatching expensive jewellery before fleeing.

Mt Albert Business Association member Catherine Goodwin told RNZ businesses were losing faith in the justice system's ability to protect them.

"I feel that this is a sign that the justice system has lost control, youth crime is escalating, cross-agency social services are not operating effectively."

Goodwin said she was unconvinced by recently released Stats NZ figures that showed the number of youth appearing in court had declined since 2021.

"I would expect it's because people aren't being taken through the process to appear in court, it doesn't appear to us there are the arrests that would be expected and in fact the system isn't taking people through the full youth crime process.

"I wouldn't suggest that is in any way a reduction in youth crime occurring, it's the fact that the system isn't holding people accountable."

She said yesterday's robbery was particularly shocking as it happened during usual business hours.

The attack lasted approximately 45 seconds before the group fled, another worker said.

Armed police were also at the mall after initial fears firearms were involved. But no firearms were involved.

Several ambulances also responded but there were no reported injuries. No arrests have been made, police said.

Police recovered a vehicle on Taylor's Rd in Mount Albert. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A vehicle believed to have been involved was found on Taylors Rd, a block away from the mall.

A policeman on the scene told the Herald that the car was used by the fleeing offenders and had been stolen.

Blood was splattered down the side of the car and jewellery was lying beside it.

Police asked anyone with information to contact them via 105, quoting job number P051976791.

Information can also be provided via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.