Teens’ ram-raid crime spree across three cities
A teenager has admitted stealing cars and using them to ram-raid and rob stores and service stations in Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North, with one of the crimes livestreamed on Facebook.
Nineteen-year-old Jayden Heta-Nelson’s offending occurred in two sprees last year. The first took place overnight on April 21-22 and involved the theft of three cars in Napier at 2.10am on April 22. The second spree was overnight on May 9-10 and involved the theft of four cars, an aggravated robbery, an attempted robbery and two burglaries.
Shortly before 10pm on May 9, Heta-Nelson drove a stolen Subaru Impreza onto the forecourt of the Z service station on Heretaunga St in Hastings.
His two accomplices, aged 16 and 17, entered the shop. One of them brandished a large screwdriver and told a staff member ‘‘give me all you got, or I’ll stab you’’.
They abandoned that car then drove a stole Subaru Legacy to Palmerston North, where at 1.30am on May 10, they ramraided the Riverdale dairy on College St. They stole two cash registers, cigarettes and lighters.
One of the teens filmed the raid and streamed it live on Facebook.
Fifteen minutes later the trio drove to Liquorland on Albert St, Palmerston North.
The store owner, who did not want to be named, said repairing the damage and replacing the stolen products cost $4745.
The impact on his business and staff had been substantial, he said.
‘‘When the police told me one of them [offenders] was just 16, I could not believe it.
‘‘That is shocking.’’
The car was found still running near Memorial Park.
Heta-Nelson was able to be identified from DNA taken from blood in the car and the store, and from fingerprints left elsewhere.
Heta-Nelson appeared in the Napier District Court yesterday via audio-visual link from Springhill prison and pleaded guilty to 11 charges.