Woman in her 60s assaulted while walking in Orewa

The woman was assaulted on the corner of Parkside Dr and Puriri Blvd.
The woman was assaulted on the corner of Parkside Dr and Puriri Blvd. Photo credit: Google

A woman was assaulted by a man while out walking north of Auckland on Sunday and an appeal for information has been made to locate the offender.

Police said the victim was walking along Puriri Ave, Orewa, about 9:15pm when she noticed a man behind her.

The attacker continued to follow her for about 250m and then assaulted her on a grass park area at the corner of Parkside Dr and Puriri Blvd. She managed to push off the offender and run down Parkside Dr.

Police said the woman was not injured but "understandably shaken" by the incident. The offender is described as being in his early 20s, tall and slender with a slim face, of either Asian, Indian, or Middle Eastern descent, with short dark hair.

He was also wearing a dark long-sleeved top with long pants and sneakers.

"This appears to be a random attack on a woman simply getting some exercise and there is no place for this in our community," Insp Mark Fergus said in a statement.

"CCTV footage has been obtained from several areas and is currently being reviewed.

"We would like to hear from anyone else who lives in the area of Puriri Ave, Centreway Rd, West Hoe Rd, and Elizabeth St and who has a CCTV camera and hasn’t yet been spoken to by Police"

Insp Fergus said he wanted to reassure the Orewa community, particularly the elderly population, they were determined to locate the offender. Residents could expect to see increased patrols in the area, he said.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Beth Bates of the Orewa Police by calling 105."