Hendrix Hauwai was arrested yesterday afternoon and appeared in North Shore District Court this afternoon accused of aggravated wounding and assault with intent to rob.
Lucy Knight, 43, underwent surgery this week to relieve bleeding on her brain that started after she tried to thwart a youth allegedly snatching a handbag from a woman at Countdown in Northcote on Tuesday.
She fell and fractured her skull in the incident, which happened in front of her young children.
Hauwai's lawyer Kelly-Ann Stoikoff said there were no grounds of extreme hardship to pursue name suppression.
She asked for the teen to be remanded in custody pending a bail application tomorrow.
Ms Stoikoff did not elaborate on the request but it was granted by Judge Pippa Sinclair.
After the alleged incident, police released CCTV pictures of a suspect.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown was impressed with the response of the public, which saw 120,000 view the photo on social media and a further 2000 share it.
"Fortunately this type of incident is not common, and the overwhelming response we've had has shown that the public have zero tolerance and for this type of crime.
"This should send a clear message to those in the criminal element," said Mr Brown.
The investigation is ongoing and North Shore police still want to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, and who may have seen a white station-wagon with tinted windows.
Witnesses said the offender was driven away by a woman in a waiting vehicle.
By Rob Kidd of APNZ and Anna Leask of the New Zealand Herald
