Palmerston North Police are investigating an incident which occurred on Tremaine Avenue at about 8.30am on Thursday 9 June 2016.
A 17-year-old female, dressed in blue jeans and a grey jersey, was waiting for a friend near the intersection with Botanical Road when a vehicle, described as a navy blue station wagon with dirt on its wheels and sides, stopped nearby. It had been travelling in an easterly direction on Tremaine Avenue before stopping.
The male driver got out of the vehicle and walked a short distance to where the victim was standing. Without warning, he grabbed her around the waist from behind and began pulling her backwards. The victim responded by kicking him in the shin with her heel. This caused him to release his grip and she fled. The man and the vehicle he was travelling in are not known to the victim.
Detective Carl Newton of Palmerston North Police said: "This young woman reacted quickly and prevented any further escalation of this incident. At this stage, it’s difficult to know what the man’s intentions were but nonetheless this behaviour is concerning. Police need to find out who this man is”.
The offender has been described as a male Maori with a roundish face. He has a shaven head and was wearing a dark long-sleeved top and dark pants.
Police are seeking information from anyone who may have seen the navy blue station wagon, or the man described, on Tremaine Avenue near Lynwood Close around this time. Tremaine Avenue is a main thoroughfare and many vehicles are expected to have been in the general area at 8.30am on a weekday morning.
Any information can be provided to Detective Carl Newton on (06) 213 9578 or anonymously via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.