5.45pm update: Police are making enquiries to locate the robbers involved in a smash and grab at Bayfair Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon.
The Michael Hill Jewellers store in the shopping centre had six robbers smash and grab jewellery before being forced to leave following the fog cannon being activated.
Police say they responded "to reports of a robbery at a store in the shopping mall on Girven Road" around 3pm.
"The fog cannon was set off and the offenders fled the scene," says a police spokesperson.
Police say the fog cannon triggered the fire alarm, forcing shoppers to evacuate the mall during the incident.
Two of the six robbers fleeing from the Michael Hill Jewellers at the Bayfair Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Jay Patel.
"The offenders left in a vehicle, which was located abandoned on Alverstoke Street around 3.10pm," says a police spokesperson.
Police say enquiries are ongoing to locate those involved.
At the scene?
Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz
The Bayfair Shopping Centre was evacuated following a robbery on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Dave Jurgensen.
4.15pm update: Police are making enquiries to locate the offenders following a robbery at the Bayfair Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon.
The centre on Given Road, Arataki has now reopened following a robbery at the Michael Hill Jewellers store around 3pm.
A shopper who was with his partner in the jewellery store witnessed the incident unfold in front of him.
"I was in the store with my partner, as she was wanting to buy something. We had been there for about an hour before it occurred.
"I was talking with one of the staff about ram raids. I had brought it up, and asked if this was the store that had been hit by a ram raid and he said 'yes it was'.
"And then my girlfriend said 'they're here'. And all of a sudden it happened."
Three of the six robbers fleeing from the Michael Hill Jewellers at the Bayfair Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Jay Patel.
He says five or six young guys came charging in to the store, and started smashing cabinets and grabbing jewellery.
"They came bolting in, sunglass on, hoddies on, masks on. Five or six of them, teenagers, and smashed and grabbed. We'd just been talking about it - I thought 'what are the odds?' "
Staff activated the fog cannons, and he says his girlfriend went straight outside the shop, but he found himself starting to throw stools at the youth.
"I felt angry, really pissed off, I started screaming and started throwing a few stools across at them. Thought I'd give it a crack. But one of them came at me with something, I think it was a knife, so I ran outside."
The Bayfair Shopping Centre has been evacuated following a smash and grab at Michael Hill Jewellers on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Dave Jurgensen.
The shopping centre was evacuated, with fire fighters and police attending the scene. It has now reopened, although the Michael Hill Jewellers store is still closed.
"Police are on site now," says the shopper. "I am going back in there now to see how the staff are."
Police say they responded "to reports of a robbery at a store in the shopping mall on Girven Road" around 3pm.
"The fog cannon was set off and the offenders fled the scene," says a police spokesperson.
"The offenders left in a vehicle, which was located abandoned on Alverstoke Street around 3.10pm."
Police say enquiries are ongoing to locate those involved.
The Michael Hills Jewellers store at the Bayfair Shopping Centre previously had a smash and grab robbery in March 2023 and a burglary in June, 2023.
Robbers doing a smash and grab at the Michael Hill Jewellers store at Bayfair Shopping Centre in 2023. Photo: Supplied.
Earlier, 3.15pm: SunLive readers at Bayfair Shopping Centre are reporting that the centre has been evacuated due to a ram raid of Michael Hill Jewellers.
A caller to the 0800SUNLIVE hotline says they were shopping in the centre on Girven Road, Arataki, when they heard a large noise.
"The Michael Hill Jewellers shop was being ram raided," says the caller.
Another shopper at the centre also says there "has been a day time ram raid at Bayfair".
"I had just walked in and noticed smoke/fog and before I could think much of it, seconds later the alarm went off and people started evacuating.
"Micheal Hill got ram raided and staff set the fog cannons off.
"Just hope this new government puts something in place to cut off these "trending" ram raids."
Police and fire fighters have been called to the scene, and shoppers have been evacuated.
At the scene?
Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz
5 comments
Michael Hill
Posted on 28-01-2024 09:06 | By Sycamore2
I am afraid to enter Michael Hill Jeweller at Bayfair and this latest incident shows why. Even at a peak shopping time in mid afternoon a smash and grab (not ram raid which involves a vehicle) can occur. I always check over my shoulder when passing to see who is behind me. The other jewellery stores are far enough into the complex to not attract these crimes. I don't think there is answer, it's just a bad location, quick in, quick out.
So cannons were useless
Posted on 28-01-2024 09:57 | By an_alias
So looks like the cannons did nothing much ?
Did they just run off with the goods anyway ?
A real question is where are the camera images from Michael Hill and also leadup to the raid ?
Did the cannon obscure all the images and give a worse outcome ?
Michael Hill should just close
Posted on 28-01-2024 11:13 | By jed
The cops will catch these kids. They'll already be known to police and I'm sure they can be identified by their shoes in the above footage.
But, the gangs are already in possession of the loot and the kids are planning lives of crime anyway. What an ego boost for them, they'll be caught and released because they're under 18.
ARMED SECURITY
Posted on 28-01-2024 13:55 | By oceans
I was in the Philippines last week and there are armed security guards and police absolutely everywhere. Some with side arms and some with shot guns. Doesn't matter where I went there were armed security and many of them . Not just one or two but many throughout shopping centres. individual shops, on the streets . airports. hotels. I am afraid that is what New Zealand needs to deter violence and robberies. The philippino security don't ask questions we will shoot if a criminal act takes place. In New Zealand if a violent act takes place and the police shoot it will be the police charged for shooting rather than the offender. New Zealand needs to wake up and get with the rest of the world. Being nice to criminals doesn't work. They will laugh in your face.
@ oceans
Posted on 29-01-2024 12:26 | By morepork
You raise a good point that is worth debating. Should we live as "other countries" or should we strive for our own multi-ethnic culture? I like the idea of a diverse culture that is unique to us, but I agree that, at least when it comes to crime, maybe we DO need to up our game and accept what seems to be inevitable: we are going to need armed police and security.Personally, I don't like the idea of guns everywhere, but we do have to do SOMETHING about increasing crime and disrespect for the law. These six people are already on the road to ruin. We need to do a better job in schools and families as values are being formed. Instead of being "heroic", crime needs to be perceived for what it is: anti-social activity that causes grief for all of us in the long run.
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