Authorities are currently undertaking an investigation following a harrowing occurrence where a man drove off with a woman and her two children inside a parked vehicle at an Auckland Mobil service station. The theft took place on Dominion Rd while the husband left temporarily to pay for the gasoline.
Seized by dread, the Vietnamese family, recently relocated to New Zealand, expressed their shaken state in the aftermath of the incident. The unnamed woman, through the aid of a translator, expressed her shaken faith in the perceived tranquility of their new home.
The mother outlined their routine stop at the station as a part of their journey out of Auckland. With the backdrop of their oddly empty and quiet surroundings, the family patriarch left his wife and daughters in the parked vehicle to pay for the gasoline. In that moment, a stranger commandeered their car and initiated a brief but terror-filled ride with the cowering family members on board.
Although short, the two-minute drive packed enough fear to last a lifetime as the woman and her children screamed and cried until the man relented. Ordering the woman and her children out of the car, he then drove off into the night. Stricken with fear, the woman led her children in a panicked run back to the petrol station to seek help, where the police were promptly notified.
Inspector Wayne Kitcher confirmed the investigation in Mount Roskill, where a car theft transpired a little past midnight. He recounted how the offender boldly stole the vehicle in the presence of other occupants, only to abandon them moments later, then continued his escape.
The police are exploring all useful leads as they strive to apprehend the suspect and recover the stolen silver Nissan Teana. Meanwhile, the traumatized family was given a police escort back to their Auckland residence.
The mother expressed the lingering fear that the incident instilled, particularly in her elder daughter, who lost all her belongings kept in the car’s trunk. Her phone, iPad, bags, and clothes were all left inside the hijacked vehicle. The unfortunate event left the family stripped of their sense of security and their possessions.
As the police continue their pursuit for justice, they urge anyone with information about the stolen 2005 Nissan Teana’s whereabouts to provide any leads by calling the police hotline 105 and quoting event number P56554956.
