Sawn-off weilded in bar heist
Armed with a sawn-off shotgun and knives three men stormed Taupo’s Lucky Lizard Bar and Grill and demanded the safe be opened up on Sunday night.
In a planned attack two men entered the bar and cleaned the cash out of the eatery while the third acted as a lookout.
The trio have both the police, and plenty of angry locals, to deal with if caught.
Bar manager Ann Murdoch said the community has rallied behind the bar staff and are angered at their local pub being targeted with such a violent crime.
One of their workers has been unable to return to work since the incident.
‘‘It has been really upsetting,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s not something you want to see happen to anyone.
‘‘It’s the first time we have been robbed up here.’’
The men were all captured on the bar’s 16 CCTV cameras and Murdoch is hopeful the men will be found.
‘‘There are plenty of cameras around here,’’ Murdoch said. ’’We’ve been downloading all the footage for police.’’
‘‘I put a sign out the day after it happened which said, ‘We’re closed because some bastards took all our money’, and we have had lots of people saying they will let us know if they hear anything.’’
The men were all dressed in dark clothing.
The offenders are described as follows: one approximately 177 cms in height and solid build, the second approximately 170 cm in height with a medium and stocky build, while the third approximately 167 cm in height and also stocky in build.
‘‘I hope they catch the men for the community’s sake,’’ Murdoch said.
‘‘It’s not about the money but things like this make you doubt people. You look at people who are about the same shape and you think was that them?’’
Murdoch is asking Taupo District Council to install lights around the playground that neighbours the bar to add more security for the business owners.
‘‘It is really dark in there and there are people there all the time,’’ she said.
‘‘I think that was the way they ran out of the bar afterwards and you can’t see anything.’’ Police are asking for anyone in the shopping centre at the time to contact Taupo Police on 07 378 6060.