Police lay 14 charges against man accused of violent Epsom attack
Police lay 14 charges against man accused of violent Epsom attack
The man accused of a violent attack that left three school kids injured and a dog dead has been charged with 14 charges by police.
The 49-year-old man allegedly stole a Good Samaritan’s car before ploughing into five high school student cyclists and killing a woman’s dog during a frenzied series of attacks in Auckland’s Epsom that left five people injured, police say.
The violent chain of events began about 7.05am on Wednesday, when a female jogger was seriously assaulted at the intersection of Manukau Rd and Ranfurly Rd in what police said appeared to be a “random” attack.
A member of the public stopped to help the woman before the alleged 49-year-old offender stole the Good Samaritan’s vehicle.
The stolen vehicle then struck several cars before hitting five male cyclists - all from Auckland Grammar School - riding along Manukau Rd, police said. Three of the cyclists were taken to Auckland City Hospital in critical, serious and moderate conditions.
The boys were part of a cycling club “doing something they enjoyed,” District Commander Sundip Patel told reporters, when the offender veered into them from behind. “These will be life-altering events,” he added.
Auckland Grammar said in a statement it was “devastated” by Wednesday’s events.
“Our immediate priority is the health, safety, and well-being of the affected students and their families,” the school said. “We are also ensuring that counselling and support services are made available to members of our wider school community who have been impacted by this incident.”
The 49-year-old man is under police guard at Auckland City Hospital, and 14 charges will be laid on Wednesday with a court appearance expected on Thursday.
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