KEY POINTS:
Police have located the vehicle they say ran down and killed a 16-year-old Bay of Plenty boy then drove off last night.
The teenager died last night when he was run down by a family member's stolen ute in Murupara, 65km southeast of Rotorua.
Police said the Toyota Hilux ute crashed through two fences as it pursued the occupants of a house in Matai St.
After running down the teen, it was driven off without stopping.
Detective Sergeant John Wilson of Rotorua police said the hit and run followed an altercation between a 16-year-old and some men outside a local shop a short time before the incident
"A family member intervened and then some blows were exchanged. The youth and his relative then left and at their home shortly thereafter, a van-load of people turned up."
Mr Wilson said about seven or eight people, armed with tomahawks and sticks, attacked the people in the house before one got in the vehicle and ran down the teen.
Police had a "viable suspect pool", Mr Wilson said
"From what we've been told, there are certainly gang overtones to this, but until we actually speak to the people concerned that's speculation."
The ute, which was driven away after the teen was struck, was found this morning on the outskirts of Murupara. It was being taken to Rotorua for examination tonight.
"It's going to be secured tonight in Rotorua ... and tomorrow it will be the subject of a full examination by ESR, police and finger print people."
Police had been speaking to locals today and asked for anyone with further information relating to the attack to contact them.
"We've had a good response from Murupara locals who are obviously upset that this has happened," Mr Wilson said.
"This is a shocking thing to have happen anywhere but probably even worse in a small community where it's close-knit such as Murupara."
Locals, who did not want to be named, said it appeared that the Mongrel Mob turned up at the tangi to farewell the dead man.
"The local Tribesmen boys had an altercation and beat the shit out of the Mongrel Mob blokes," said one local, speaking to NZPA on condition that his name was not published.
He said the Mongrel Mob gang members returned last night resulting in the incident that led to the boy's death.
"Some people can't behave themselves. Unfortunately it reflects on our whole community because 90 per cent of our community are really good people," the local resident said.
He said the community generally pulled together and helped each other when it was needed but too many gangs were now involved in the drugs which "fried their brains".
One local witnessed the Toyota drive through the fence.
"I saw the Hilux shooting up the driveway and saw two people running.
"He just bowled straight through the corrugated iron fence.
"We couldn't see him (the teenager) getting hit but were could see the Hilux wasn't slowing down.
It bowled straight through and popped out the other side of the fence and hit the back of the Winz building, spun around and straight back through the fence - the hole he had come out of."
Another resident said the town was shocked at the boy's death.
"It has gone from one extreme to the next. It is just bullshit really. The gangs just go around thinking they own the town. It is going to be the demise of the whole community."
Police have yet to release the name of the dead teen.
- NZPA
