A man accused of carrying out two violent and unprovoked attacks on an Auckland bus has been arrested and charged, police confirmed on Monday. One man was killed and another seriously injured in separate incidents on the same bus travelling through the city’s eastern suburbs, as reported by 1News.
The attacks occurred on the number 76 bus travelling from Glen Innes toward Ōrakei around 8 pm on Sunday.
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said earlier in the day, “We believe we have identified the man who is responsible. He is wanted for arrest for murder and causing grievous bodily harm. [He] should be considered dangerous and should not be approached. If you see him or have information about his whereabouts, please call 111 at the earliest opportunity, but do not approach him,” as quoted by 1News.
Later in the afternoon, police confirmed a 36-year-old man had been arrested following public information that led officers to the Auckland CBD.
“Information was received from the public, subsequent to our earlier appeal today, which indicated our suspect was in the CBD this afternoon,” Baldwin said. “Our team developed further information that was received, which pinpointed an area of interest within the Auckland CBD. Police staff flooded the lower downtown area, quickly gaining observations of the man. He was quickly and safely taken into custody at the corner of Commerce and Fort streets,” 1News has quoted.
The man will appear in the Auckland District Court tomorrow. Baldwin described the arrest as a major early breakthrough, calling it “a fantastic result” and commending the tenacity of the investigation teams.
Police released a detailed timeline of what they described as “horrific” and completely unprovoked assaults. The offender boarded the bus at Apirana Ave in Glen Innes at 7.53 pm. Three minutes later, the first victim, aged in his 50s, got on.
“The only other passenger aboard initiated an attack on the victim, before he could exit the bus near Fenchurch St in Glen Innes,” Baldwin said. The victim sustained an “unsurvivable” knife wound to the torso and managed to flee the bus before collapsing. He later died in hospital, as quoted by 1News.
The bus continued its route, and around 8.09 pm, the second victim boarded.
“The second unprovoked assault began when the offender approached the victim, aged 51, at the rear of the bus,” Baldwin said. “The offender initiated a fight and quickly produced a knife and assaulted the victim,” as reported by 1News.
The victim, along with another passenger and the driver, escaped near Coates Ave and Kepa Rd. He remains in stable condition with serious hand injuries.
Police are also seeking two young women who got on and off the bus between the attacks. “The offender showed no interest in them,” Baldwin noted, but they may be able to provide useful information, 1News has quoted.
Questions were raised about why the bus driver did not stop after the first attack. Baldwin said the driver, who has been interviewed, likely “was not aware of the significance of the event that occurred,” quoted 1News.
He added that the driver was aware of the second confrontation, saying, “It’s a pretty alarming thing to encounter.”
Local shop owner Prathul Patel, who knew the first victim for decades, said the loss had devastated the neighbourhood.
“He’s a nice, humble guy, big-hearted… like a teddy bear if you spoke to him,” Patel said, quoted 1News.
He added that residents would now “probably look twice” before boarding public transport.
Auckland Transport’s public transport director, Stacey van der Putten, said the agency was working closely with police.
“We are very saddened to hear about these incidents, and our thoughts are with the victims, their families and our bus operator staff who was present,” she said, quoted 1News.
AT confirmed all buses are equipped with CCTV and that the driver is being supported.
“Passengers travelling onboard our bus, train and ferry services deserve to be safe and feel safe… While these incidents are truly concerning, we want to assure our customers that we have robust safety measures in place across the network,” 1News has quoted.
As detectives continue investigating the motive, Baldwin stressed the brutality of the event.
“There is absolutely no place in our community for that kind of needless, senseless and unprovoked violence… Neither victim did anything to engage, or provoke… they were minding their own business,” as quoted by 1News.
Police say they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the attacks.
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