Thousands of dollars have been raised to support an Auckland woman being labelled a good samaritan who was seriously injured when she intervened in an attempted bag snatch.
Good samaritan Lucy Knight. Photo: Twitter
Mother-of-six Lucy Knight sustained head injuries after she tried to stop an older woman from being mugged outside a supermarket in Northcote on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old was allegedly punched in the head as she intervened and fell, suffering a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. She had surgery at Auckland Hospital last night and is in a stable condition.
A friend of the family has set up a Givealittle fund-raising campaign; donations had topped $8000 just after 8pm today.
Ms Knight's husband, Peter Thomas, said the family was shocked and upset by the incident.
The family was with her in hospital and their main focus was simply being with her while she recovered, he said.
The couple's children were in good hands, he said, and they thanked family, friends and wellwishers for their support.
Police have tracked down the woman Ms Knight tried to help; the older Asian woman had left the scene by the time officers arrived but her family got in touch last night, and officers will speak to her through an interpreter.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown said a youth was arrested early this afternoon and had been charged with aggravated wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault with intent to rob.
Mr Brown thanked the public for their help with the speedy arrest and said police had had dozens of calls after posting CCTV footage on their website.
A 17-year-old youth will appear in the North Shore District Court tomorrow morning.
