Two teenage girls face serious charges following two aggravated robberies on buses in the past week.
After an extensive search, police caught up with the girls, following the latest incident yesterday morning aboard route 70 on Ti Rakau Drive.
Counties Manukau East area prevention manager Inspector Rakana Cook says mobile phones were the target.
“Around 11am, two victims had their phones stolen aboard the bus, with one being assaulted in the process,” he says.
“A male associate of the two offenders assaulted a third victim who had tried to intervene.”
As police were called all three fled.
Inspector Cook says they were eventually located and arrests were made in the East Tāmaki area.
A 15-year-old boy has also been charged with aggravated assault over yesterday morning’s incident.
The girls, aged 13 and 14, have both been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery.
The second charge relates to another aggravated robbery on October 5.
In that incident, another victim was assaulted and had their phone stolen on the same bus route near Pakuranga.
The pair have also been charged with assault with intent to rob, over a separate incident on October 5 in the Pakuranga area.
Inspector Cook says police are opposing the bail of all three offenders, as they appear in the Manukau Youth Court today.
“In one instance yesterday, one of the victims suffered a black eye after being needlessly assaulted,” he says.
“There is no place for this violence in our community whatsoever.”