Police have arrested a second man in relation to an aggravated robbery and an assault in Tāneatua, Bay of Plenty, on Monday.
Two men appeared in the Whakatāne District Court court today and have been remanded in custody. Photo: Pool
A 28-year-old man appeared in the Ōpōtiki District Court yesterday, and reappeared today in the Whakatāne District Court, along with a 25-year-old man.
Both were remanded in custody until 23 February, when they are due to reappear in the Whakatāne District Court.
"The two men are alleged to have been involved in an assault on a 65-year-old man outside the bakery on Tuhoe Street on Monday, Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said in a statement.
"They are then understood to have been two of three who travelled to the Gull petrol station in a white Mazda hatchback, and shortly after, assaulted a 45-year-old man and stolen his motorbike.
"Officers continue to carry out a number of inquiries to establish the circumstances of these incidents in correlation to the death of a 57-year-old man, who was assaulted in his home on Cobham Street on Monday, and died the following day in Waikato Hospital.
"The investigation into these incidents remains ongoing and is progressing well. We are actively pursuing new lines of inquiry, which will bring us a step closer to determining exactly what happened.
"We have received a number of calls from members of the public since our appeal for information yesterday, and want to thank those who came forward with information."
Police still want to hear from anyone who may have witnessed or have information about any of the events.
"We are confident there are people out there who know who is responsible and who have information valuable to our investigation. We urge them to do the right thing and come forward to Police," Wilson said.