A trail of theft and arson across Christchurch
Police are piecing together a chaotic string of crimes that tore through Christchurch and Rolleston early Sunday morning. The spree, spanning less than two hours, involved two stolen vehicles, a deliberate car fire, and a pair of commercial burglaries.
Senior Sergeant Hamish Keer-Keer confirmed that investigators are working to determine if the events are connected.
Rolleston origins and the flight from Lady Isaac Drive
The sequence began at 2.40am at Lady Isaac Drive in Rolleston. Responding to reports of an attempted break-in at a van, officers arrived to find two vehicles fleeing the scene. Both were later confirmed to be stolen.
Branston Street fire and the suburban burglaries
The activity shifted 45 minutes later to the suburb of Hornby. On Branston Street, one of the stolen cars was set ablaze. By 3.20am, police were alerted to a burglary at a commercial property on Halswell Junctions Road. The spree concluded at 4am with a break-in at a bar on Withells Street in Avonhead.
The search for a criminal link
“At this stage it has not been confirmed whether this incident was linked to the same offender/s,” Keer-Keer said regarding the Halswell Junctions Road burglary.
Evidence gathering in the absence of pursuit
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