Moorings Restaurant owner Anthony Robertson, of Pisa Moorings, said the restaurant was raided during the man’s alleged crime spree.
The man broke in through one of the doors and left a ‘‘trail of destruction’’, helping himself to restaurant food and bottles of spirits, Mr Robertson said.
Soon after, in the early hours of the morning yesterday, the man was arrested outside the restaurant by officers, after dogs tracked him to the break-in, Mr Robertson said
‘‘The police were on to it, which was great,’’ Mr Robertson said.
While the incident was unlikely to set them back much financially, it was disruptive for the staff and the neighbourhood.
The break-in had left a mess to clean up and staff had been shaken.
‘‘We don’t want people like that out on the streets,’’ Mr Robertson said.
Sergeant Mike Calvert said a Dunedin police dog handler was called to the scene when the offender tried to escape on foot.
‘‘Unfortunately for him, he was apprehended by the dog,’’ Sgt Calvert said.
Sgt Derek Ealson said officers had been responding to a family harm event in northern Central Otago when a Toyota Landcruiser rammed two police cars, causing minor damage about 6pm on Tuesday.
‘‘Thankfully the officers were not injured,’’ Sgt Ealson said.
After colliding with the police vehicles, the driver travelled towards Tarras on the Tarras-Cromwell Rd, then to Wanaka before travelling through to Lowburn and Pisa Moorings, where he was located and taken into custody.
A 35-year-old man was due to appear in the Queenstown District Court yesterday charged with several driving, assault and burglary charges.
‘‘While this was an unpredictable and concerning incident, we want to reassure the Central Otago community that there is no further threat,’’ Sgt Ealson said.
