Police are on the hunt for suspects involved in the assault of a Whangārei dairy worker during an attempted robbery at Sunnyside Dairy in Te Kamo. The incident occurred at 3.55 pm on Wednesday, following a fog cannon activation at the store on Station Rd.
The shop owner, who requested anonymity, recounted the harrowing experience to the Advocate. He and his wife were at the counter when four masked youths armed with weapons stormed in. One of the assailants struck the owner twice on the shoulder with a hammer before fleeing, The New Zealand Herald reported.
"The guy hit me two times on my shoulder before fleeing off with his mates. Because I had somehow managed to activate the alarm while I was being assaulted,” the shopkeeper said.
Although the shopkeeper’s wife escaped physical harm, she was left shaken by the 30-second ordeal. The assailants caused damage to the store's displays and security door but did not manage to steal any items.
A nearby neighbour alerted the police after hearing the alarm and seeing smoke from the fog cannon. The offenders were seen fleeing in a blue Toyota Mark X.
Detective Sergeant Ryan Cooper of the Northland Tactical Crime Unit praised the shop owner’s quick response, which thwarted the robbery. "The offenders had initially attempted to steal tobacco products but were unsuccessful in opening the cabinet," Cooper said. "This was a frightening incident for the store workers, and we are providing support to them."
The shop owner revealed that this was the sixth time their store had been targeted since 2019. “We have been robbed four times and had to deal with two ram raids so far. We feel so helpless,” he lamented.
He expressed frustration with the judicial system, noting that most offenders were young and often escaped severe punishment due to their age. “All I want is for things to go back to normal and not close down business,” he said, adding that he had lost faith in the system.
Detective Sergeant Cooper assured the public that officers were working diligently to apprehend the culprits and urged anyone with information to come forward. The Toyota sedan used in the robbery was last seen heading towards the Tikipunga suburb and was reported stolen from Jack St, Otangarei, on Tuesday night.
Police are requesting anyone with dash cam footage of the vehicle to assist in the investigation. Information can be provided using the reference number 240724/7653 or online via the “Update Report” option. Anonymity is guaranteed for those who contact Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
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