Armed robbery in Otahuhu builds fear and scepticism
An aggravated robbery in broad daylight on Sunday, December 11, at a dairy in South Auckland, has shaken the community.
Mahesh Kumar, 47, a patient of asthma, was at his dairy on Avenue Road in Otahuhu when a man ran into the counter pointing a sharp knife on his neck demanding cash.
The incident happened between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., and the offender has been described as a well-built man wearing a black jacket with a hood, balaclava, and gloves.
While resisting the knife attack Mr Patel received a deep cut on his left hand between the fingers and also suffered a cut on his neck.
“My neck bled as he pinched the knife on me. Had he (the offender) pressed a little harder, I would have had deeper cut,” Mr Patel said.
Mr Patel opened the cash counter and pleaded to not be hurt further when the offender pushed him to the ground. He suffered minor injuries on the head as he hit the chair next to him.
Mr Patel quickly ran out to the flea market next to the store and alarmed the people nearby. In the meantime, the offender collected the cash and fled from the store.
Mr Patel’s 14-year-old son, who was assisting him at the shop, was inside the storeroom when the incident took place.
The owner ran back to the store to get his car keys from his son and chased the offender. Back in the store, his son and the neighbours from the flea market called the police and emergency services.
“I drove towards the roundabout on the east of Avenue Road where the offender disappeared in his car,” Mr Patel said.
The police arrived at the scene around 8 a.m.
Mr Patel’s wife, Nayana Patel, 44, rushed to the scene from her Mt Albert home on receiving the news.
“We own this dairy shop for nine years now. This area is prone to shoplifters, but this was the first time we faced an armed robbery,” Mrs Patel said.
There were no property damages, but the offender was successful in taking $80 to 100 from the counter. The police is investigating the incident, and the offender is yet to be located.
“The robber was covered from top to bottom with a face mask and gloves, and he could not be identified even in the CCTV footage,” Mr Patel said.
The incident, which has been reported in media, has made Mr Patel sceptical. He says that the robbery might make the store more susceptible to such incidents in the future.
“I am sorry to say this but now every second person in the shop looks like a suspect,”
“The incident has made me more fearful of the people around the store,” the dairy owner added.
Mr Patel received his treatment on Monday and is stable now.
An aggravated robbery in broad daylight on Sunday, December 11, at a dairy in South Auckland, has shaken the community.
Mahesh Kumar, 47, a patient of asthma, was at his dairy on Avenue Road in Otahuhu when a man ran into the counter pointing a sharp knife on his neck demanding cash.
The incident...
An aggravated robbery in broad daylight on Sunday, December 11, at a dairy in South Auckland, has shaken the community.
Mahesh Kumar, 47, a patient of asthma, was at his dairy on Avenue Road in Otahuhu when a man ran into the counter pointing a sharp knife on his neck demanding cash.
The incident happened between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., and the offender has been described as a well-built man wearing a black jacket with a hood, balaclava, and gloves.
While resisting the knife attack Mr Patel received a deep cut on his left hand between the fingers and also suffered a cut on his neck.
“My neck bled as he pinched the knife on me. Had he (the offender) pressed a little harder, I would have had deeper cut,” Mr Patel said.
Mr Patel opened the cash counter and pleaded to not be hurt further when the offender pushed him to the ground. He suffered minor injuries on the head as he hit the chair next to him.
Mr Patel quickly ran out to the flea market next to the store and alarmed the people nearby. In the meantime, the offender collected the cash and fled from the store.
Mr Patel’s 14-year-old son, who was assisting him at the shop, was inside the storeroom when the incident took place.
The owner ran back to the store to get his car keys from his son and chased the offender. Back in the store, his son and the neighbours from the flea market called the police and emergency services.
“I drove towards the roundabout on the east of Avenue Road where the offender disappeared in his car,” Mr Patel said.
The police arrived at the scene around 8 a.m.
Mr Patel’s wife, Nayana Patel, 44, rushed to the scene from her Mt Albert home on receiving the news.
“We own this dairy shop for nine years now. This area is prone to shoplifters, but this was the first time we faced an armed robbery,” Mrs Patel said.
There were no property damages, but the offender was successful in taking $80 to 100 from the counter. The police is investigating the incident, and the offender is yet to be located.
“The robber was covered from top to bottom with a face mask and gloves, and he could not be identified even in the CCTV footage,” Mr Patel said.
The incident, which has been reported in media, has made Mr Patel sceptical. He says that the robbery might make the store more susceptible to such incidents in the future.
“I am sorry to say this but now every second person in the shop looks like a suspect,”
“The incident has made me more fearful of the people around the store,” the dairy owner added.
Mr Patel received his treatment on Monday and is stable now.
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