Texting student ambushed, punched and kicked in car robbery

Do you recognise these men? Police would like to hear from you.

A student had his head down texting when two strangers ripped open his car door and attacked him, before throwing him out and driving off.

The 26-year-old's sports-style red Toyota Starlet was dumped two days later, its stereo ripped out, but police are still hunting his attackers.

Detective Constable Geoff Paterson, of the Waitakere CIB, said the student received cuts and bruising to the face and was lucky to avoid serious injury.

"He held his own, he wasn't a cave-in," Mr Paterson told the Herald.

"But my advice would be get out and walk away and let them take it. You're either going to have your car taken with injuries or your car taken without injuries, what's the best?"

The attack occurred about 10pm on Tuesday, June 29, when the student pulled up in Lincoln Rd in West Auckland, near the Burger King restaurant, to discover a friend he was visiting was not home.

He backed onto a concrete pad next to the house and was sitting with the engine running texting his friend. Busy with his phone, he did not notice the men approach or have time to lock the doors.

The student refused their demand to get out of the car and was repeatedly punched and kicked in the head.

"It's pretty rough, but kicking someone in the head who's sitting in the driver's seat of a car would be quite awkward," said Mr Paterson.

"If they'd managed to get him out on the road first-off it would be much worse."

His cellphone was ripped from his hand as the attackers screamed for money.

They pulled him out of the car and as he was kicked in the head again, his wallet was ripped from his back pocket.

He then scrambled to his feet and wrestled with one of the men before his accomplice threatened to "finish him off".

The carjackers - described as solid Pacific Islanders in their 20s - took off along Lincoln Rd in the Starlet, turning left into Pomaria Rd.

Mr Paterson said the student was very shaken and had been offered help from Victim Support.

He urged people to be aware of their vulnerability to crime.

"Cellphones create a target. You've got the street robberies too where someone is walking along texting and someone sees he's got a flash phone and decide they want it."

Witnesses are asked to contact Mr Paterson on (09) 839 0631 or give anonymous information via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.