UPDATE: Homicide investigation – Tāneatua

Police continue to investigate the death of a 57-year-old male who was assaulted in Tāneatua on Monday, 14 February, and died in Waikato Hospital yesterday.

Police have established that three incidents occurred in Tāneatua on Monday, one of those being the assault that caused the man’s death.

At about 2pm, a group has gone to the deceased’s address on Cobham Street, Tāneatua.

Police would like these people to come forward while we continue to piece together exactly what happened.

Shortly after, that group left the address in a white Mazda hatchback and they have physically assaulted a 65-year-old male who was eating outside the bakery on Tuhoe Street.

Three of that group then went to the Gull petrol station in the white Mazda and, shortly after leaving there, assaulted a 45-year-old male and stole his motorbike.

Our inquiry team would like to speak with anyone who saw any of these events, or has knowledge of what occurred.

The team, consisting of detectives from the wider Bay of Plenty – including Tauranga, Rotorua and Tokoroa – is committed to establishing the facts surrounding all three incidents and holding those responsible to account.

Anyone with information should contact Police via 105 and quote file number 220214/0810, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

/NZ Police Public Release. View in full here.