• Howick and Pakuranga Times
A WOMAN escaped injury when two youths snatched her handbag.
Two men approached the woman who was walking and texting on her cellphone in Paton Road, Howick, at about 7.45pm on Thursday.
The men approached the woman from behind, one taking her phone and the other her handbag.
A man and two women who saw the incident pursued the men on foot and chased them “into the arms” of a passing patrol car, says sergeant Keith Olsen, of Howick police.
“We would like to thank those witnesses for assisting the victim.”
All of the property was recovered.
An 18-year-old man from Meadowbank and a 19-year-old man from Mt Eden appeared in court on Friday on charges of aggravated robbery and possession of an air gun.
However, Mr Olsen says police think the same two offenders may have approached a group of “girls” in the car park at the southern end of Eastern Beach an hour or two earlier.
“We don’t know who the girls are, but we would like to hear from them,” he told the Times. “If this incident did occur, we are keen to hear from those who were there at about 5-6pm.”
They can contact constable Ben Opie, of the tactical crime unit at Howick police station, on (09) 538-0300.