17 Aug 2008

Police spend day at mall to gain clues on teen's killing

3:03 pm on 17 August 2008

Police spent Saturday at a South Auckland shopping mall in the hope they will obtain more information about the killing of a teenager.

John Xavier Andrew Hapeta, 14, known as "John John", was bashed to death by two men outside his home in Justamere Place on Tuesday night. A handgun and a hammer were used.

Police say the attack was not a random one. Descriptions have been issued of two men seen running from the scene. Both are Maori who were wearing black hoodies.

Police have since carried out a number of search warrants and interviewed six people, but no arrests have been made.

A police bus was parked at the Clendon shopping centre all day.

Recent killings

The incident in Weymouth was the latest in a series of killings in South Auckland:

Navtej Singh was fatally shot during a robbery at his liquor store in Manurewa on 7 June.

Yan Ping Yang, 80, was beaten unconscious in her Manurewa home on 11 June and died three days later.

Business owner Joanne Wang, 39, died of head injuries after being hit by a car at Westfield Shopping Centre in Manukau on 16 June as she tried to stop a man driving away with her stolen handbag.