“Before I realised anything I got punched in the face a couple of times. I was bleeding,” he said.

“I thought they were going to hurt me and do something really bad.”

Chen said he fought back, pushing one of the men and kicking the other before four other alleged offenders ran over to him.

“I realised that was not a good idea to fight with them because they outnumbered me a lot, so I decided to run.”

As he fled, one of the offenders, wielding a baseball bat, chased after him demanding his phone, which Chen refused.

“I think they were trying to knock me out and just take whatever they want.”

The robbery, which lasted less than a minute, ended in the six offenders speeding off into the night, only making off with a gym bag full of clothes.

Chen, who moved to New Zealand on a working visa on February 21, said he couldn’t sleep on the night of the attack and was doubting his decision to come to New Zealand.

“I had the impression that New Zealand is a beautiful country and is a safe place to live but apparently, I was wrong.”

He said he had spent most of his life in China but lived in the United States for eight years and “never, ever experienced such a robbery”.

“I didn’t even have a verbal fight with anyone,” he said.

He believed the offenders were driving down the street looking for a target and said it could have been anyone who was attacked.

A police spokesperson said an investigation is under way.

“At around 10.10pm, police were called to an address on Ballindrait Drive following a report of a person assaulted and robbed,” police said.

“The victim received minor injuries and a number of items were taken before the offenders fled on foot.”

Inquiries were being made into any CCTV footage near the attack, which would be reviewed, they said.

Anyone with information on the attack was asked to contact police via the 105 phone service using file number 250306/8803.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.

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