Repair work is carried out to the front of Michael Hill Jeweller at Rotorua Central mall following a ram raid and burglary. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Repair work is carried out to the front of Michael Hill Jeweller at Rotorua Central mall following a ram raid and burglary. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Ram raiders who smashed through the entrance of a Rotorua shopping centre drove a vehicle about 60m into the mall before targeting four stores inside.
The ram-raid happened early on Monday. Yesterday, black tyre marks could be seen on the floor where the ram-raiders drove the vehicle through the Rotorua Central southern entrance, facing Victoria St, to one of the stores inside.
Tyre marks on the floor of the Rotorua Central mall following a ram raid and burglary. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Police were alerted at 2.55am Monday and mall owners, Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust, confirmed four stores were broken into - Spark, EB Games, Kings and Queens and Michael Hill Jeweller.
Police said today they had recovered a Nissan Tiida used in the incident and were “following very positive lines of inquiry.”
“Police arrived on scene two minutes after we were notified of the break-in at 2.55am,” a spokeswoman said.
“CCTV footage has revealed a group of offenders, we are still currently analysing it, and are not in a position to release it. We want to reassure the public that we are working hard to hold those responsible for the offending to account.”
The Rotorua Daily Post approached the Kings and Queens owner, who was at the store yesterday, but he was too upset to talk. The store was not open for business yesterday.
Michael Hill Jeweller remained closed for much of the day until a smashed window was repaired. The store’s head office declined to comment.
A mall worker, who didn’t want to be named, said the roller door at EB Games appeared to have been kicked in to gain entry. The store’s management was approached for comment.
The mall worker said she felt sorry for the Kings and Queens owner.
“They were absolutely ravaged.”
Clean up at Kings and Queens kiosk in the Rotorua Central mall following a ram raid and burglary. Photo / Kelly Makiha
A Spark spokeswoman said its monitoring systems alerted there was an intruder just before 3am.
She said the store wasn’t entered using the vehicle.
“We are currently assessing damage and loss. Our team worked hard to prepare the store for our customers this morning and opened the doors at 10am.”
The brazen attack left shoppers and fellow store owners inside the mall shocked and angry.
Damage to the entrance to Rotorua Central mall after a ram raid early Monday. Photo / Ben Fraser
Not Just $2 owner Mukul Patel said he believed his store was not targeted because they did not stock expensive products.
He said he had no idea a car could be driven through the mall and was shocked it squeezed in through the front door.
“I’m not sure what car they used but it must have been a smaller car ... The car was there and people saw the car.”
Patel said it showed retailers were not protected from ram raids if they were located in a mall.
“It’s happening everywhere. No mall is safe now. Bigger and better malls than us have been robbed. Daytime robberies and everything. We knew sooner or later it’s going to happen here as well. It’s a sign of the times.”
Patel said it did not put him off being a store owner.
“It’s part of business now but I don’t know, I haven’t been hit yet and hasn’t affected me as much ... let’s hope a new Government will be better and will have tougher laws.”
Kathy Warbrick, who works near the mall, was having lunch at the foodcourt yesterday and said she could not believe what had happened.
She said those responsible were oblivious to the damage they had done, not only to the stores but also to the owners and workers.
“Many, many years ago I was working at what was Trust Bank at Te Ngae and our neighbouring bank ANZ got robbed. Even though we weren’t robbed as a bank, to actually see that happen, that level of violence stayed with me for such a long, long time. Today I’m still even talking about it.”
She said her heart went out to the victims of yesterday’s ram raid.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous. Whoever is doing it has no empathy or understanding of what they are doing to other people. They are just in it for whatever they can grab, a quick buck for themselves. Where’s the humanity in that?”
Damage to the entrance at the Rotorua Central mall following a ram raid and burglary. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust chief executive Mark Gibb said at least two, and potentially three, alarms were triggered and sounded, notifying relevant people, with police arriving on site shortly afterwards.
“Relevant clean-up contractors arrived on site once it became light this morning to commence repairs.”
He said the trust had comprehensive security measures on site but despite that people had been able to get inside.
