Tauranga driveway death: Dead man named

A teenager who left behind a trail of blood before he was found lifeless in a Tauranga driveway yesterday morning has been named.

Police have identified 19-year-old Takena Tiepa-Ranapia of Tauranga as the victim who was discovered yesterday by a resident on Mansfield St in the suburb of Ohauiti about 9am.

A post mortem examination completed this morning has confirmed that he was the victim of an assault before he died but police are remaining tight-lipped about the nature of his injuries.

In a media statement issued this morning, police said the young man had walked half a kilometre with his injuries leaving a trail of blood.

Police would not reveal the cause of the man's injuries but said the scene examination indicated that he had walked for some distance following his suspected assault with a trail of blood leading from outside a Mansfield Street address where a party was held on Saturday night.

Police said it appeared the man then walked along Mansfield Street and Jane Way into the reserve before looping back to where he was discovered outside a second address Mansfield Street address.

He would have covered a distance of approximately half a kilometre and police would like to speak to anyone who saw a man in this location in the early hours of the morning.

Police believe there is a link between the man's death and an assault on Ohauiti Road near the intersection with Welcome Bay Road.

In this second incident a man suffered hand and facial injuries.

Police also believe that those responsible travelled to both locations in a vehicle and then left those locations in that vehicle a short time later.

The time which is the main focus of the police investigation is between midnight and 1am.

Police expect to be able to release the name of the man who died this afternoon once the post mortem and formal identification have taken place.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tauranga Police on 07 577 4300.