Police praise neighbour

Police have praised the actions of a quick-thinking Papatoetoe woman who came to the rescue of her elderly neighbour during an aggravated burglary at his home on Saturday.

The brave mum rushed to help the 85-year-old when she saw three disguised men pull up outside the man’s Peverill Cres property and enter his house about 5pm.

“I knew something was wrong as one of the men had a bandanna over his mouth and I knew my elderly neighbour did not have three male friends,” the woman said yesterday.

She walked over to the man’s house, took photos of the offenders’ car and called 111 when she realised the men were assaulting the pensioner.

Detective Senior Sergeant Alexander, who is in charge of the police investigation in the aggravated burglary, commended the woman.

Shortly after she walked over to the man’s house to investigate the three men ran out of the house. Two were armed with knives, Alexander said. They fled in a stolen red 2010 Nissan Juke with the registration KFH463 which was found on Sunday.

One of the offenders chased the hero mum away as he was leaving and kicked her leg.

The men stole the senior citizen’s bank cards and coin collection.

The elderly man was taken to Middlemore Hospital as a precaution.