86-year-old terrified after gunshots fired
Auckland police have arrested a man in connection with alleged gang intimidation a pensioner was caught up in.
On early Saturday morning 86-year-old Rosemary Rudolph was left terrified after a suspected gang attacker fired shotgun blasts at her house in Avondale.
Detective Senior Sergeant Glenn Baldwin said police executing a search warrant on Sunday morning discovered ‘‘three firearms and a large quantity of ammunition’’ at an undisclosed address.
A 26-year-old man was also arrested on three charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of offensive weapons and demanding with menace, Baldwin said.
Rudolph was left shaken and scared after her Cradock St house and car were fired at at 1.30am on Saturday.
‘‘I heard these four; bang, bang, bang, bang. Four shots, like that,’’ Rudolph said.
She said two gang members - who she believed belonged to the King Cobras - were asking her son for money on Friday afternoon, and when he refused, returned later that night and gunned the place.
She said ‘‘two big huge guys’’ asked her son for money, and when the son said he didn’t have any and closed the door on them, they forced their way in.
‘‘He shut the door but one of them kicked the door open.’’
They eventually left but returned later that night with guns.
‘‘I thought the neighbour was letting crackers off again. So I came out in my dressing gown ... and I was going to look outside but I thought better of it - I didn’t really know that the windows had been shot out.’’
Rudolph said it was lucky her son was out at the time, because the gunfire was right over his bed.
Two armed officers were stationed outsider Rudolph’s house for the rest of the night and more police arrived in the morning to carry out a forensic scene examination.
‘‘It is of concern that shots would be fired at a dwelling and a vehicle,’’ Baldwin said.
The investigation into the Cradock St incident continues and police ask anyone with information to contact Auckland Central Police Station on 09 302 6400 or anonymously through Crimestoppers 0800 555 111