Burglary spree: Four Squares among five stores targeted by Hawke’s Bay thieves in early morning crime wave

Criminals smashed their way into at least five stores in Hawke’s Bay in a three-hour crime wave in the early hours of the morning, leaving retailers “shaken” and picking up the pieces.

Hawke’s Bay Area Commander Detective Senior Sergeant Sally Patrick said the incidents, believed to be related, began at 4.25am on Wednesday and included threats to staff at the only business open at the time.

The first attempted theft took place at Te Mata Four Square in Havelock North. The attackers in a Mazda Demio broke the window of the store, but they were left empty-handed because they could not enter the cigarette cabinet.

Around 5 a.m., the suspects attempted to enter a second store at the corner of Bridge Street and Waghorne Streets, Patrick said.