A Mount Maunganui teenager has been arrested for allegedly mugging a young girl of her Christmas present money at Bayfair Shopping Centre.
Tauranga Police Senior Sergeant Tristan Murray says the 14-year-old was arrested on Friday and will appear in the Tauranga Youth Court later this week facing one charge of both theft and trespassing.
A teenaged girl has been arrested after a 10-year-old was mugged at Bayfair Shopping Centre last week.
The accused is alleged to have to have snatched the 10-year-old Mount Maunganui girl's money bag before sprinting off through the exit doors last Thursday.
The arrest was made after police identified the teenager having viewed CCTV security footage released by Bayfair management.
According to a SunLive caller at the time of the robbery, the girl's mother was having her fingernails done when the girl seized the opportunity to buy her a Christmas present.
The caller said it was heart-breaking to see the girl penniless and inconsolable following the incident.
Bayfair officials have since gifted the girl a shopping voucher to go towards the present for her mother.
Bayfair Shopping Centre would not comment on the incident, citing it is now a police investigation.
The 14-year-old is to appear in the Tauranga Youth Court on Friday.
*NB: At the time of the incident, SunLive were led to believe a young boy had been mugged in the incident, however subsequent enquiries have revealed that the victim was a 10-year-old girl. Like all respectable news outlets, we are more than happy to admit to our mistakes, and on this occasion we apologise for misleading our readers in any way.
13 comments
Lock Her Up
Posted on 16-12-2014 15:36 | By carpedeum
Make sure she spends her Christmas under lock and key- how despicable to rob and eight year old boy. The lowest of the low.Make and example of this one please
Good news
Posted on 16-12-2014 15:53 | By The Sage
Won't be able to do much to a 14 year old . Ban her from Bayfair and name and shame her. Put her photograph up. Fraser Cove does a really good job of running a tight ship with security. Bayfair needs to follow their lead.
By The Sage
Posted on 16-12-2014 17:21 | By Taffy
Totally agree with your comments.Another slap with a wet ticket.Note that she has been charged with theft and trespass would seem that she was already banned as the police were able to identify her from the CCTV footage.Make her clean the toilets out twice a day for a month in Bayfair
SHOCKING
Posted on 16-12-2014 17:52 | By Elba
These kinds of people have no morals bring on the stools like the movies where people throw rotton friut at them, people who take money of kids the elderly and disabeld are the low lifes of our society
Such a shame
Posted on 16-12-2014 18:04 | By nerak
she can't spend a few nights in a cell, might help her think more considerately. Can only but hope she reviews the path she is taking, and her parents are forced to confront what they have taught her.
Opportunity
Posted on 16-12-2014 18:24 | By Johnney
Let's put a positive slant on this an hope that someone could teach her respect and teach her how society expects her to act so we don't see her on the scrap heap of delinquents that spend a life of crime and clog up the prisons. Now wouldn't that be a cost effective outcome. Just a thought!!!
as much as
Posted on 16-12-2014 19:56 | By Taurangaboy
people would like to see this girl dealt to, she is still a youth, No I'm not a forgive and forget guy, I would love to see her photo in the media, but reality is, it will get dealt with behind closed doors
No accountability liabilty
Posted on 16-12-2014 20:32 | By Murray.Guy
We live in a strange world that holds dog owners to account, liable, should their dog be found loose and unsupervised, should it threaten, intimidate. Those responsible (should read, irresponsible) for children and their behaviour do not have the same obligations or liabilities - We live in a strange world!
Security at Bayfair
Posted on 17-12-2014 09:55 | By Zack
As a regular client of BayFair I would like to see a greater security presence. I have two children in wheelchairs and need to use the mobility parks but often find them being used by those not entitled. When you say something all you get is a mouthful of abuse back. There needs to be a greater visual presence on the floor and in the car parks.
Likely result will be??
Posted on 17-12-2014 10:23 | By Annalist
My guess would be a family group conference, victim impact report, psychologist report, quite a few thousand dollars to a lawyer, and maybe even some sort of fasttrack to a benefit for the rest of her life as soon as she's old enough???
Make her pay
Posted on 17-12-2014 10:45 | By belladonna
I certainly recommend that this little twit pay, pick up rubbish around Bayfair, clean toilets, write an apology to the victim hand deliver it and read it out. Make her call all her family her grandparents, uncles and aunties, tell them what she's done. I did this once to my child for a very minor (college incident) and warned my child the next apology would be in writing to the editor of the local rag and have her apology published. Didn't need too, because calling her family was the hardest responible thing my child had to do those many years ago.
Tragedy
Posted on 17-12-2014 10:47 | By Surfwatch
A 14 year old, who unfortunately was brought up the wrong way. Perhaps a suitable punishment would be that she helps out in a "soup kitchen" on Christmas day. Just to show her what Christmas is about. Locking her up and punitive penalties will not, I believe, teach her anything but anger against the system.
More security at Bayfair.
Posted on 17-12-2014 17:09 | By dgk
So, this person had already been trespassed from Bayfair. Seems to me that security at Bayfair needs to be increased.
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