To be attributed to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Philip Elvy:
Waikato Police have made three arrests in relation to the burglary of a Dinsdale petrol station and the aggravated robbery of a Te Awamutu dairy.
The burglary at the petrol station took place in the early hours of 11 March and the aggravated robbery at the dairy took place later the same day.
Members of the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit have arrested two 13-year-olds and a 19-year-old in relation to the offending.
One of the 13-year-olds appeared in Hamilton Youth Court today. The second 13-year-old and the 19-year-old will appear in Hamilton Youth Court tomorrow.
Enquiries are ongoing to identify and locate two other offenders.
Police are aware that members of the public tried to intervene in the robbery at the Te Awamutu dairy. While we know these people acted with the best of intentions, we urge people not to put themselves in harm’s way. These incidents are unpredictable and can escalate quickly, and the last thing we want is for people to get hurt.
A way that bystanders can help is to – where possible - capture photographic and/or video footage and provide it to Police. This kind of footage can prove invaluable when we are working to identify those involved in this type of offending.
ENDS
Note for media: The owners of the Te Awamutu dairy have requested privacy and do not wish for any further contact from media outlets.