Smash and burn rampage follows fight

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 442, 30 June 1992, Page 1

Smash and burn rampage follows fight

A team of 10 police were in Ohakune yesterday investigating a series of incidents that occurred on the weekend. On Saturday night police were called to an altercation at the Powderkeg Inn at the Ohakune Junction. Following the fight two windows of a police car were smashed as well as a number of windows of the Inn. From about 10.30pm on Sunday night a series of offences occurred which police believe may be linked. An explosive device was thrown at the Waimarino Police Station in Rata Street, Ohakune, causing minor damage to the exterior of the building. At about the same time an explosive device was thrown into the rear of a vehicle parked at the owner's residence in Ohakune. Also, about 40 shop windows were smashed. All the commercial premises in the Bakehouse Shopping Complex suffered smashed windows, with few left undamaged. Included were: The BNZ bank, the vacant FCOS store, the Ohakune Photo Pharmacy, Ohakune Butchery, Promenade Clothing, Profile Hair Design, and Virtuosity craft shop. Police arrested a 35-year-old Ohakune man in relation to some of Sunday night's offences. Senior Sergeant Mike Deane said it appeared all the events were linked, but police enquiries were continuing. The team of police were looking for other suspects, but Snr Sgt Deane said yesterday it was too early to say how many people were involved in the incidents. A local resident told the Dulletin he heard the window smashing spree on Sunday night, from lower Clyde Street. He said the session was all over in about 30 seconds. Shop keepers told the Bulletin it appeared nothing was taken in the window smashing incident, so it appeared to be an act of gross vandalism. • A car rolled on Rimu Hill on the Ohakune Mountain Road about 5pm on Sunday. The two occupants escaped uninjured. Two Ohakune Volunteer Fire Brigade appliances, an ambulance and a tow truck attended the accident. • A man was airlifted out of the Ruatiti Valley after falling about 10m over a bluff on Sunday. The man's nephew raised the alarm, by cell phone, at about 3pm. The two commercial scrub cutters were clearing bush in the area.