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A shocked Manurewa man found his 80-year-old mother lying battered and unconscious on the floor of their home after what appeared to be a random attack.
The Chinese woman was alone in her Saralee Drive home on Wednesday night when a man entered the house about 5.30pm and attacked her, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Gutry of Counties Manukau police said.
The offender is described as a Maori wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts.
Mr Gutry told the Weekend Herald the woman lived with her son and her grandchildren but was alone at the time of the attack.
"The first she was aware of was a hand was placed over her mouth. She was then assaulted, there was an attempt to put her in a closet but further than that we are still speaking to the victim when we can," he said.
Her attacker tried to dump her in a closet but she got out and when her son came home he found her on the floor.
"Her son has come home about 10 that night, found her with injuries and taken her to hospital."
The woman, who does not speak English, had internal injuries and rib fractures.
It is not known how the offender got in but there were windows open, Mr Gutry said. "Obviously the age of the victim does make it difficult ... she's particularly frail."
She is recovering in Middlemore Hospital's intensive care unit. She is not thought to have been sexually assaulted.
Police were not initially told what happened because it was thought the woman received her injuries in a fall. When she regained consciousness a day later, she said she had been attacked.
Yesterday police forensic teams were searching the house for evidence and to determine if anything was taken. They said there was no obvious motive. The woman's family were worried about her and why someone had come into their home and attacked her, Mr Gutry said.
Neighbours said the family kept to themselves. One woman said she saw the victim only when she went out to get the mail.
One neighbour said they heard their dogs barking loudly after 10 on the night of the attack but did not see anything. Another, Nibal, said she had moved to the street only six months ago because she thought it would be safer than her former home on Mahia Rd. "We were surprised when the police came and told us what happened. It's normally quiet here."
Mr Gutry asked anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area to call police. "We certainly would like anyone who knows anything or has seen anything in this area to contact us."
It is the second violent attack in Manurewa in less than a week. Liquor store owner Navtej Singh was gunned down during an armed robbery just a couple of blocks away.
