The attack was caught on CCTV at the Polished Diamonds Jewellery Design store, with the burglar – who wore a hoodie and face covering – breaking the lock on the door and smashing at least one display cabinet.
The store’s owner Nick Nielson – who lives above the premises – woke up and confronted the burglar with a baseball bat.
Nielson said he was able to smash two windows of the getaway car but was unable to stop them escaping with jewellery valued at “tens of thousands of dollars”.
He initially offered a pair of diamond earrings to anyone who could provide information that led to an arrest, however it is not known if the reward was claimed.
Police arrested and charged one suspect on Wednesday 11 November but, at the time of publication, were yet to recover the stolen goods.
Nielson told Stuff.co.nz, “I knew basically after 24 hours of the break-in that [the jewellery] was probably long gone… I’m a small business owner like any other. I don’t have a big team behind me, it’s just me.
“These types of incidents really do hurt small businesses.”
Nielson said he had received support from the local community and had increased security at the store in the weeks since the robbery.
The accused robber is scheduled to appear in Auckland District Court in December.
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