“This is a culmination of great investigative work by police staff from across different areas, all working together to hold this offender to account,” he said.
“This result should reassure the community that we have absolutely no tolerance for this type of offending.
“Police would also like to thank members of the public for information provided following a media release a couple of weeks ago, which has assisted in us in this apprehension.”
Counties Manukau District police have been patrolling shopping centres and central business districts after a recent spate of anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
Earlier this week, two South Auckland women came up for 15 shoplifting and assault charges between them, with one accused of spraying disinfectant in a security guard’s face.
The other woman is accused of threatening, beating a retail worker with a baseball bat, throwing glass jars at workers before fleeing with a trolley-load of stolen goods on another occasion and threatening, assaulting workers with a hammer before again running away with a full trolley in another incident.
Police arrested a 24-year-old last week after she allegedly assaulted the security guard at a shop in Takanini.
She was due to appear in the Manukau District Court on Friday on six shoplifting charges and two aggravated assault charges.
The second woman, a 34-year-old, was arrested yesterday when officers saw her in a car linked to another shoplifting incident and pulled it over.
Officers quickly realised she was wanted for three alleged shoplifting and assault incidents and arrested her.
Police Inspector Matt Hoyes detailed her alleged crimes: “The first was an incident on November 12 where [she] assaulted and threatened [an] employee of a store in Manukau ... with a baseball bat.
“The second was an incident at a supermarket in Manukau on Saturday, November 29, where she is alleged to have assaulted employees by throwing glass jars at them before fleeing with a trolley full of stolen goods.
“The third incident was again at a supermarket in Manukau on Tuesday, December 5, where she is alleged to have threatened and assaulted employees with a hammer before [fleeing] with another trolley full of stolen products,” Hoyes said.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
