Two teenagers aged 13 and 14 are facing a number of charges following an alleged "night-long crime spree" across the Hawke's Bay region.
Hawke's Bay CIB Detective Steve Leonard said the alleged offenders were accused of stealing eight vehicles, attempting to steal four others, aggravated robbery and burglary between midnight and 8.45am on July 15.
"The marathon sprawled from Napier to Hawke's Bay, leaving a trail of victims and damaged vehicles," he said.
Leonard said "a craving for sweets" led the pair to visit Te Awanga's 4 Square later that morning, where a senior constable spotted the stolen car used during an aggravated robbery two hours earlier when a worker at an Onekawa dairy was threatened with a tyre iron.
"As the terrified woman tried to hide in a cupboard, the offenders grabbed tobacco products, ice creams, lollies and a cash drawer, then fled."
The pair would reappear in Napier Youth Court on August 1, and one of the boys also faces charges related to events in May and June.
Leonard said police are "dismayed" by this type of offending.
"The trauma of being threatened while doing your job is unacceptable, and for some people, the loss of a car can have a profound impact on the life of them and their family.
"We would like to remind the public to contact police as soon as possible if you see suspicious or illegal behaviour."
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