Woman fights armed invader
8th Jun 2013
By Kristin Edge
10am UPDATE: Police have arrested a teenager after a woman fought off an attacker in her Ruakaka home early yesterday morning.
Detective Seargeant Shane Pilmer said a 17-year-old had been arrested
last night and would appear on the Whangarei District Court today.
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A 40-year-old Northland woman needed surgery for a deep gash to her
hand after she fended off a knife-wielding intruder who had climbed
through her bedroom window.
Police detectives were yesterday interviewing Ruakaka residents near
Wahanui Walkway after the early-morning attack on the woman, whose young
child was sleeping in another room.
The incident comes two weeks after a man tried to sexually assault a 15-year-old girl in her Marsden Point Rd home.
The man struggled with the girl but he was scared off by a neighbour leaving home next door.
No arrest has been made in that case.
Head of both investigations Detective Sergeant Shane Pilmer was not
linking the two attacks but said they had similarities and that was
concerning. Police were unsure of the motive behind the latest attack.
The woman had been woken by a noise outside her window about 4am
yesterday. She had got up to see what was happening and found a man with
a bandanna around his face climbing through the bedroom window.
Mr Pilmer said a struggle ensued on the bedroom floor when the man
produced a knife. Both the woman's hands were cut and surgery for a deep
cut on one hand had been scheduled at Whangarei Hospital yesterday.
The woman managed to fend off the attacker, who had fled out the bedroom window.
The woman had then raised the alarm.
"She was very shaken up and very distraught. This could easily have
been a lot worse. During the scuffle, she could easily have been fatally
stabbed," Mr Pilmer said.
A police dog and handler were called but were unable to find a trail.
St John ambulance officers were called to the house and transferred the
woman to hospital.
The attacker has been described as a male Maori, of slim build with
short hair, aged in his 20s or possibly younger. At the time, he was
wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and fawn-coloured shoes.
He also had a brown or fawn-coloured bandanna around his face.
Mr Pilmer said detectives were determined to track down the man to ensure there were no further attacks.
In the meantime, he urged home owners in the Ruakaka area to make sure windows and doors were securely locked at night.
He called on anyone who may have noticed anyone acting suspiciously in
the Wahanui Walkway area late on Thursday or early on Friday to contact
police.
On June 22, a man, described as a male Maori in his 30s, walked down
the driveway of a Marsden Point Rd house, knocked on the door and spoke
to a girl about 9.45am.
After speaking to him, the girl closed the door and turned to walk back
inside the house. But the man pulled the door open and entered the
house.
Mr Pilmer said there was a struggle between the girl and the man - the girl ending up on the ground.
The man had then tried to sexually assault the teenager but someone had
left a neighbouring property and disturbed the attacker.
The girl had raised the alarm with a friend who rang police. She had
sustained cuts and bruising and was seen by ambulance staff at a nearby
house.
If you can help call Mr Pilmer directly on 09 4304589 or anonymously on 0800 Crimestoppers.