Man accused of violent rampage in Auckland's Epsom named as Shalty Heta
Shalty Heta has been named as the suspect in a violent rampage in Auckland, New Zealand, that involved assaulting a jogger, stealing a car, and killing a dog. The defendant has entered a not guilty plea to 17 charges, with a hearing scheduled for December.
Why it matters
The case involves a series of random, violent public acts that have drawn significant community concern regarding public safety.
The man accused of carrying out a violent rampage in the Auckland suburb of Epsom last month can now be named.
Heta remains in custody after allegedly assaulting a jogger, taking a car and running down three high-school-aged cyclists, and killing a dog.
Appearing at the Auckland District Court on Friday, he entered a not guilty plea through his lawyer, Jane-Frances O'Halloran.
He did not seek continued name suppression.
Judge Evangelos Thomas set his hearing date for December.
He faced 17 charges including intent to cause grievous bodily harm, which has a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment
Police said they were called to reports of a serious assault at the intersection of Ranfurly Rd and Manukau Rd about 7am on August 5 .
What followed were described by Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Sunny Patel as six separate incidents.
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2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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