A homicide investigation has been launched in New Zealand over the death of an eight-year-old boy after a “violent altercation” on the North Island.
Police were called to a property in the city of Hamilton about 5.20pm on Sunday to reports of a violent dispute.
Hamilton City Field Crime Manager Inspector Darrell Harpur said officers attended the address on Anthony Crescent in the city.
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Three people were taken to hospital – the boy, with critical injuries, and two other adults who were moderately and seriously injured.
Harpur said the boy died from his injuries on Sunday evening.
A 37-year-old man taken into custody by police at the scene had been charged with murder and assault, and was due to appear in court on Monday.
Harpur said police were not seeking anyone else in relation to what happened, but would remain in the area as they continued a scene examination and further inquiries.
A neighbour said he’d never had any issues with the house or its residents.
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He didn’t hear anything on Sunday night, and wasn’t aware anything had happened until emergency services arrived.
The man said he was surprised to hear a child had died, as he’d never seen a child at the house. It seemed to be mostly men who occupied the house.
The most he’d seen of them was when waiting for each other to turn or pull out in the cul-de-sac street.
A woman who lives nearby said there were lots of people who stayed at the house, and they had many parties.
She said she sometimes saw a child and a dog at the house, but didn’t know them.
Another man who lives nearby said he saw the men who lived at the house every now and then.
He said the men seemed friendly, and often waved or said “hi” to each other.
He said he’d seen the child in the window or out the front of the house when doing his garden, but not much.
When asked if the people at the house kept to themselves, he said “the child did, for whatever reason”.
An old child’s bikes, a small trampoline and a swimming pool could be seen in the back yard of the house.
This story has been reproduced with permission from Stuff.co.nz.
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