Thursday, 14 June 2007 - 11:18am |
Wellington

Fish & Chip shop robbed twice in a week by armed teenagers

2 min read

Porirua Police are concerned that twice in one week a young person has used a large knife to rob the Sievers Fish and Chip shop.

The Sievers Fish and Chip shop is on the corner of Mungavin Avenue and Sievers Grove in Porirua.

The two incidents happened on Sunday 3 June at about 8.30pm and again on Friday 8 June at about 8.50pm. Both incidents occurred at closing time.

On both occasions the owners were threatened with the knife and told to fill a black bag with the day's takings. The knife is described as having a 30cm blade, says Detective Constable Damian Doocey.

On the first occasion, the young man was accompanied by a young female.

On the second occasion the young man was alone and he held the knife to the throat of the owner's daughter as she stood outside the shop's front door. However, the owner managed to flag down a passing motorist and the offender ran off up Sievers Grove, says Detective Constable Doocey.

"There was a sports match on in Mungavin Park on Friday the 8th so we think people will have seen the offender.

"One spectator has already told us he saw a male lying in the bushes opposite the shop before the robbery. He was possibly our offender, waiting for the victims to close for the night. We think the offenders are local teenagers."

The offenders are described as Maori or Pacific Island:

Teenage male  • 14-15 years old  • 140-150cm tall, medium to thin build  • black hoody  • face covered and wearing thin black sunglasses  • dark blue long socks pulled up under black 3/4 length pants  • dark blue or black cotton gloves  • white basketball boots a black letter 'W' on the side  • On the second occasion, the male is described as carrying the same knife and bag and dressed the same, but wearing dark brown pants and dark ribbed cotton gloves.

Teenage female  • 13-14 years old  • 140-150cm tall, medium to thin build  • red hoody  • face covered and wearing black sunglasses

"The shop owners are certain it was the same young man on both occasions," says Detective Constable Doocey.

"It's very concerning. Having been bold enough to do it twice we're worried they'll try again. It's a very volatile and dangerous situation.

"The shop owners are well known and respected so we expect to get a lot of help from the community with our inquiries."

Police want anyone who recognises the description of the offenders including the distinctive basketball boots, or who has seen young people behaving suspiciously or with a lot of money, to contact the Porirua Police on Tel: 04 238 1400.

.................................

For more information contact Detective Constable Damian Doocey, Tel: 04 238 1400.