Toddler runs for help after fight death

The house from which the little girl ran to seek help. Picture / Paul Estcourt

A girl aged about 3 ran to neighbours and raised the alarm after a man died at an Onehunga house last night.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, is understood to have died after a fight in the front yard of the Mt Smart Rd house about 7pm.

The death is being treated as a homicide, and police last night cordoned off the scene.

Neighbours told the Herald they heard screaming but didn't think anything of it because two families lived at the property with several children.

Kelly Mau said that a short time later a little girl ran to a nearby home asking for help.

She said there had been a fight and someone had been hurt.

A woman at the house called an ambulance and took the girl back to the house.

"Apparently some guy had punched another guy and he was unconscious," said Ms Mau.

Michael Tutauha said he had also heard shouting coming from the house but ignored it.

Later, he saw a body lying in his neighbour's front yard.

"The ambulance had turned up and they were doing CPR for quite a while."

Mr Tutauha said a family with children aged from about 5 to 16 lived in the house.

The body did not appear to be any of the adults who lived there.

A man who did live at the house was standing in the yard talking to police.

"I was going to call out to the neighbour to see if he was all right, but he was talking to a detective."

By about 9pm, distressed relatives of the dead man began arriving.

Neighbours described the family as good people who mostly kept to themselves.

They said a second family lived in the garage behind the house.

"It's a great shock," said Ms Mau. "They are usually a quiet family and don't make any noise."

Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said the death would be treated as a homicide unless it could be proved otherwise.

She said several people were helping police.

The house last night remained under guard while police investigated.