Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Two Invercargill teenagers who allegedly tried and failed to break into a jeweller's and a service station before settling for vapes from a dairy have been arrested.
Police said the duo's crime spree began when they stole a Mazda from an address in Kingswell early on Monday morning.
They arrived at a jeweller in central city around 5am, and tried breaking the windows with a scooter. When that didn't work, they tried a service station in Newfield.
Again unsuccessful, police said the pair - whose exact ages were not given - then encountered a member of the public, who they scared away by pretending to have a firearm.
"They have then travelled to a dairy in Windsor, where they have managed to smash their way in," Detective Peter Smallfield of Invercargill Police said.
"The pair stole items including vapes, cash, and confectionery before getting back into the vehicle and driving a short distance away.
"A police dog unit has located the vehicle and tracked the occupants who had fled on foot, taking them into custody shortly after 6am."
The pair were due to appear in Invercargill Youth Court on Monday, jointly charged with burglary (three counts), theft of a motor vehicle and being unlawfully in a closed yard.
"This behaviour is incredibly frustrating for residents and business owners in our community, and it's pleasing to have been able to immediately hold this pair to account," Smallfield said.
He thanked members of the public who called 111, "enabling the quick apprehension of the two youths".
