Waikato petrol station ramraid, man wakes to teens under arrest on front lawn

A Waikato resident has told of the moment the police arrested a number of young people on his front lawn after a ram raid at a petrol station 40km from his home.

It was a “pretty unusual” morning for Jaden Sullivan when he heard multiple police cars go past his house with their sirens blaring.

Sullivan told the Herald when he heard them a second time, he wondered what was happening outside.

Barefoot, he stepped on his front lawn to find a car being chased by several patrol vehicles.

“I saw a car go past and then several police cars chase behind it,” he said.

“It was right outside my driveway. Five or six young teenagers jumped out of the car and I thought they would come into my property.

“But they were surrounded by officers yelling get down.

“They did try to get away but there was nowhere for them to go so they all got down.”

Waikato police arrest eight ramraiding teenagers after a 40km chase. Photo / Supplied

Sullivan said an officer told him the teenagers had ram raided a gas station which was half an hour’s drive away from his house.

“There was a second car with popped tyres which came around the paddock not so far away from that first one. There were two or three teenagers in it. The car had spike strips hanging in front of it and it had crashed.”

GAS Hinuera owner Meet Thakkar told the Herald around 6.30am the security alarm started buzzing on his phone.

“I left home straight away. There were a group of seven people who smashed the main door glass. They came and wrecked the computers, broke the till and safe. They damaged the whole front counter, even security cameras.”

Thakkar said he had only purchased the business three months ago and this ramraid was likely to cost him over $15,000.

“They stole all the smoke, mobile accessories and some chocolates.

“We are still cleaning up the mess they left behind. It is horrible.”

A police spokesperson said the group of eight teenagers were arrested following a ram raid at Hinuera petrol station.

The group, travelling in two cars, were spiked and stopped by police in Tatuanui.

“Road spikes were deployed near Tatuanui township and the two cars came to a stop without incident,” a police spokesperson said.

“A significant amount of stolen property was recovered from the two vehicles.”

Police were alerted to the ram raid around 6.45am and then a short while later an officer spotted the vehicles travelling along State Highway 27 towards Waharoa Rd.

The group were made up of five males and three females between the ages of 14 and 16.

“This was outstanding work by our staff,” said Inspector Mike Henwood, Eastern Waikato Area Commander.

”Not only were they able to apprehend a large group of offenders almost immediately following the burglary, they have also recovered stolen property which can now be returned to its rightful owners.”

Akula Sharma is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2022. She has previously worked at the Gisborne Herald.