CCTV has been released showing the violent attack of a liquor store owner in Manurewa overnight.
Police say the owner was stabbed in the back after three men entered his south Auckland store.
Witness Nina Emelio said she was having a barbeque with her family when she saw three men in balaclavas run into a local liquor shop with knives.
"We knew straight away it could be a robbery so I stood up to distract them to stop, then the whole family came outside and joined in and yelled out to try and distract them from doing whatever they were about to do," says Ms Emelio.
Detective Senior Sergeant Eddie Sutherland says the shop owner suffered a minor stab wound to his back as well as a cut to his head.
"One of the offenders has picked up a bottle of alcohol and thrown it at the shopkeeper which has hit him in the forehead and as a result he has a laceration in the forehead."
Ms Emelio says the owner was bleeding considerably after the attack.
"I saw the victim stagger out of the shop, bleeding profusely from the head. I saw blood and I ran over to him and caught him before he fell and put him down and I stayed with him the whole time just to apply pressure on the bleeding and just talked to him for the whole time," she says.
The victim's wife, Marinder Preet Kaur, says the offenders came in demanding cash.
"He said 'money, money', but I was screaming."
She says she feared the worst when she saw her husband's injuries and was "very happy" for the neighbours' help.
"They are heroes. I say thank you to them.
"When I saw my husband outside he had everywhere blood."
Det Snr Sgt Sutherland says police are thankful people came to help but advises against others acting in a similar way.
"This incident has turned out well in this case, but we don't condone and want anyone to intervene or put themselves at risk. We ask that they phone 111 immediately and let us handle the situation."
He said police were "extremely concerned about the behaviour of these offenders".
A 19-year-old man was found soon after the incident, and is due to appear in the Manukau District Court today charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated wounding, while the two other men have yet to be found.
The shop owner is in a stable condition in hospital.
Newshub.
