Police say they are shocked by the violent mugging of an 80-year-old woman in Auckland.
They say a man grabbed her bag in a supermarket carpark in Remuera yesterday, and she fell to the ground in the struggle, hitting her head.
Detective Senior Sergeant Lloyd Schmid said the attack was uncalled for.
"Another vulnerable member of the community [was] subject to quite extreme violence unneccesarily," he said.
Mr Schmid said the robber fled in a car driven by a 25-year-old woman.
The driver was arrested, and police continued to search for a 23-year-old man.
The victim is in a stable condition in Auckland Hospital.