Christchurch police are investigating a third attempted ramraid on a local shopping centre within one week. Early on Sunday morning, just after 4 a.m., officers were called to South City Shopping Centre on Colombo Street following reports that a stolen vehicle was used to try to gain entry into the Chemist Warehouse store. The vehicle involved was abandoned at the scene.

This incident follows similar attacks at two other malls in Christchurch: Westfield Riccarton, targeted last Thursday, and The Hub Hornby, where a ramraid occurred on Tuesday. Each attempted burglary took place between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., according to police records.

Authorities continue efforts to identify those responsible for this latest event, as well as the earlier ramraids. Canterbury Metro Area Commander Lane Todd indicated that youths are believed to be involved, but investigators remain open to other possibilities. “We have nothing to suggest at this stage that malls are a specific target, and could not determine any meaningful trend from so few occurrences,” he said.

Jason Marsden, centre manager at The Hub Hornby, described the recent ramraid there as "disappointing" and "frustrating." He acknowledged the swift response from police and expressed hope that law enforcement can apprehend the offenders and connect them with appropriate services.

Police investigations into all three attempted vehicle-ramming incidents remain ongoing as officers seek to establish any links between the cases and identify those responsible.