PHOTO: NZ Police
THE people responsible for seriously assaulting a meter reader in Kihikihi and stealing his car, drove west along the northern boundary of Ōtorohanga before dumping it at the Kāwhia turn-off and setting it on fire.
This week, police revealed the route they believe the attackers took after leaving the Kihikihi worker with critical injuries.
Two vehicles – a red Daihatsu Terios, registration LKN281 stolen from the victim and a silver Nissan Primera, registration DHA220 – travelled from the crime scene on Oliver St, Kihikihi along rural Ōtorohanga back roads before turning off towards Kāwhia last Thursday afternoon.
The cars are thought to have taken the first right when heading south on SH3, onto Te Mawhai Rd, then around the southern side of Mt Kakepuku on Kakepuku Rd, then Pokuru Rd and continued west on Te Kawa Rd, SH39 and finally SH31/Kāwhia Rd.
Detective senior sergeant Andrew Saunders said police would like to hear from anyone with information about the movement of the two vehicles, but told King Country News he was not prepared to speculate on why the vehicles went where they did.
Emergency services were called at 4.35pm on January 5 after a man was found with serious head injuries.
The man was transported to Waikato Hospital and as at Monday afternoon, remained in a critical condition.
The latest appeal for information from police is for anyone who travelled the route between 4.30pm and 8pm, particularly those with dashcam footage or residents who live along the route and have CCTV footage of interest, to get in contact.
The sergeant did not answer questions about why he thought the vehicles travelled where they did, where the culprits went after the Terios was torched, if CCTV in Kāwhia was searched or if there was a theory yet on the motive for the attack.
“At this early stage, we are not able to speculate on this detail, nor go into specifics of our investigation,” he said.
“We have received some information from the public and are assessing it, and continue to ask anyone who may be able to help to get in touch.”
A post by a member of the public in a local community Facebook group on Friday said there was a strong police presence on Kāwhia Rd, just before Hikurangi Rd, where officers were searching a paddock.
A comment suggested the place where the Terios was found was a common location for stolen cars to be dumped and torched.
Anyone with information to help the police investigation can contact police on 105 phone service or online at police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report, referencing file number 230105/8487.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
