Dunedin police are praising the quick thinking of a 15-year-old boy who helped track down a man allegedly involved in the robbery and attempted robbery of three city businesses in the past fortnight.
The King's High School pupil said he and a friend were heading home from badminton practice on Monday night, and as they drove past the 10 O'Clock Dairy in Prince Albert Rd, St Kilda, an alarm sounded from the store.
"A person came running out and the dairy owner was chasing him with a stick of wood, yelling at him.
"We went around the block thinking we might be able to help the shopkeeper identify him.
"When we came back around, we saw the person standing on the corner."
The teenager said he called Dunedin police. The man yelled at them before running off.
"So we followed him. He jumped into a van on Mills St and we told the police the licence plate."
Detective Sergeant Rob Hanna, of Dunedin, praised the teenager's actions and said the information he provided - and the assistance from other witnesses in the previous incidents - had helped police apprehend the alleged offenders.
"Police are extremely grateful for the assistance of the public, which has been the main reason we have been able to progress this; particularly the general description [the teenager] took of the van."
The teenager was humble about his input.
"It was no trouble. I was just going past and it was curiosity that made me follow the guy.
"It feels pretty good to help Dunedin out."
Police charged a 19-year-old cleaner with aggravated robbery regarding his alleged role in this week's incident.
He also faces other charges related to robberies at the Mornington BP service station on June 5 and Green Island Post and Paper two days later.
A 19-year-old unemployed man and a 21-year-old labourer received a registrar's adjournment on Tuesday on an indictably laid charge of attempting to rob a male while armed with an offensive weapon.
