Robbery in New Zealand: Low acts as a doctor trying to save a child
After her desperate efforts to save a toddler’s life, a New Zealand doctor finds her phones and credit cards missing.
As hospital staff tried to save the life of a two-year-old boy who had been crushed in a New Zealand alley, a family member stole a doctor’s two phones and a bank card and drove off. launched into a spending spree.
The child died shortly after but Melissa Herewini had already taken the bank card to four shops in Rotorua and bought alcohol, food, petrol, phone credit and cigarettes, reports the NZ Herald .
Herewini, 34, pleaded guilty to all four counts of obtaining by deception when she first appeared in Rotorua District Court on January 13. Judge Maree Mackenzie sentenced her to one year of intensive supervision.
It was New Years Eve when the boy was run over in the driveway of a Rotorua house in what police described as a tragic accident.
The boy, who Rotorua Daily Post understands he was from out of the area, being at the Rotorua home with family members when the accident happened.
A police summary of the facts, communicated to the Rotorua Daily Postsaid family members took the 2-year-old to hospital in Rotorua with life-threatening injuries around 7.45pm on December 31.
The summary says Herewini was one of the family members who arrived at the hospital with the boy and his mother.
He was rushed to the resuscitation area of the emergency department where medical personnel worked frantically to save his life.
As she did so, one of the doctors put her two mobile phones – one of which held her credit card – on a bench while she performed CPR on the child.
Herewini took the opportunity to take the phone and credit card and hid them on her person before rushing out of the hospital.
The doctor and his fellow doctors failed to revive the child and he was pronounced dead at 8:50 p.m.
Shortly after, the doctor noticed that her phones and card were missing and she alerted the police. It was established that the card had already been used six times.
The summary states that when Herewini left the hospital, she went to the Bottle-O on Fenton St and made two transactions, one for $69.99 and the other for $59.98 for the alcohol and cigarettes.
She then drove to Z Fenton St and made two more transactions with the stolen card for $70 and $62.50 for gas, phone credit, food and more cigarettes.
She went to Rotorua Super Liquor on Fenton St and spent an additional $66.95 on alcohol and food.
She went to Malfroy Tavern to make one last transaction worth $69.99 for more booze.
She eventually made it to the Challenge gas station on Malfroy Rd and again tried to use the stolen card which was declined after being canceled by the doctor.
All transactions in the four stores were completed within 18 minutes.
The summary says that shortly after the doctor alerted police to the theft and transactions, police found the phones in the same house where the 2-year-old boy was run over. The doctor’s credit card was never found.
Herewini told police during her arrest that she saw the opportunity with the credit card and the phones, so she took it, according to the summary.
Rotorua Police Zone Commander Inspector Phil Taikato said police were investigating the circumstances of the boy’s death.
“This was a tragic accident and the police send their deepest condolences to the child’s whānau.”
The Rotorua Daily Post has contacted the Rotorua family of the boy who was killed who did not want to be identified. They said it was an extremely difficult time for them and they weren’t ready to speak to the media.
They said the incident involving the theft of the doctor’s phones and bank card was upsetting and that Herewini did not represent family values.
This article originally appeared in the NZ Herald and has been reproduced with permission.