A Cambridge grandma took matters into her own hands after she witnessed a ram-raid in progress – by smashing her vehicle into theirs.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, was making an early-morning coffee run on Easter Monday when she saw a car smashed in the local Spark store on Victoria St.
The 63-year-old told Cambridge News she was driving along the mostly empty road when she thought to herself, "It’s not happening".
Crossing the median strip, the woman crashed her vehicle into the thieves' one - ramming the ram-raiders.
The unexpected turn of events prompted them to flee from the store.
"They all came out of Spark like bees from a hive, yelling. I tried to reverse but couldn’t, so I hit the car hard again," she said.
She noticed one of the thieves was a "little guy" slipping around while wearing jandals.
"Builder’s crack – it was hilarious."
They quickly dumped the freshly stolen goods before making off in another getaway car.
The woman followed them, blaring her horn before eventually returning to the Spark store.
She said while she was worried her husband would be mad about the damage to her car, she said it was "worth it".
She said the criminals got "chased out of Cambridge by a nana".
Police say inquiries are ongoing and are encouraging anyone with information on the robbery to call 105.
As for the nana’s decision to intervene, they said: "Generally, police discourage people from intervening, as it puts them at greater risk of harm".
"We advise anyone who witnesses suspicious or unlawful behaviour to report this as soon as they can so that police can respond."
Taupō MP Louise Upston posted a photo of the aftermath on social media, calling it a "sad end to the Easter Weekend".
"This isn't New Zealand."
The thieves could only escape with a demo phone.
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