On a Tuesday in the Hutt Valley, a case that has hung over a family for more than two years took a new shape: two people now stand charged not with the death of a small boy, but with what was done afterward to the evidence that might explain it. Baby Ru, whose full name carried his whanau's lineage, died on October 22, 2023, in the Poole St home where he lived, from blunt-force trauma that broke his skull. The arrests mark the first public steps in a homicide inquiry that remains open, and they offer a fragile sense of movement in a grief that has waited a long time for its answers.
Second arrest in Baby Ru homicide case as woman faces charge over removed CCTV system
Baby Ru, a young child, died on October 22, 2023 from blunt-force trauma that fractured his skull, and his family is awaiting justice.
Charged not with his death, but with what happened to the evidence around it
Mark
Why do these two arrests matter when nobody has been charged with the death itself?
Mimi
Because they're the first visible movement in a case that has been quiet since October 2023. The family said as much: one arrest is something, and police are still working.
Luke
Worth being clear about what's actually alleged. The charge is about removing and disposing of a CCTV system from the Poole St home. It isn't a charge about causing Ru's death.
Mark
What do we know about the second person?
Mimi
Only that they're 28, arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice, and due in court Thursday.
Luke
And we don't know what that second charge specifically alleges. The reporting doesn't say whether it relates to the CCTV system.
Mark
The first defendant has name suppression. Is that unusual?
Mimi
It's interim, unopposed by police, and runs until November 26. It was granted at the first appearance, which is common.
Luke
Right, but it means we can't say who they are or how they relate to the household. That's simply unknown.
Mark
Pritchard said further charges are likely.
Mimi
He did, and that's the line the family will be holding onto.
Luke
It's a police expectation, not a confirmed event. Nothing public yet says who might be charged or with what.
Le Pouls
- A 33-year-old was remanded in custody after police alleged he removed and disposed of a CCTV system from the Poole St home on the day Baby Ru died.
- A second person, 28, was charged with perverting the course of justice, and police confirmed the arrest only after the news had already begun to circulate.
- Tears of joy in a family video call turned quickly into cautious relief, as relatives held onto the hope of one arrest while knowing the case is not finished.
- Operation Huia continues under a small full-time team, with police working alongside the Crown solicitor and forensic experts, and further charges are signalled as likely.
- The 28-year-old appears in court Thursday, and the first defendant returns on November 26, with name suppression in place for now.
On a Tuesday in the Hutt Valley, a case that has hung over a family for more than two years took a new shape: two people now stand charged not with the death of a small boy, but with what was done afterward to the evidence that might explain it. Baby Ru, whose full name carried his whanau's lineage, died on October 22, 2023, in the Poole St home where he lived, from blunt-force trauma that broke his skull. The arrests mark the first public steps in a homicide inquiry that remains open, and they offer a fragile sense of movement in a grief that has waited a long time for its answers.
On Tuesday morning in the Hutt Valley District Court, a 33-year-old stood before Judge Michael Mika, charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. The allegation is that on October 22, 2023, he removed and disposed of a CCTV system from the Poole St home where a young boy known as Baby Ru lived. That was the day the boy died.
Baby Ru's full name was Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall. He died of blunt-force trauma severe enough to fracture his skull. More than two years later, the case has produced its first public arrests, and they concern the evidence surrounding his death rather than the death itself.
The defendant entered no plea. His lawyer sought interim name suppression, which police did not oppose, and it was granted until November 26. Bail was opposed by police, declined by the judge, and he was remanded in custody. The charge carries a maximum of seven years' imprisonment.
For the family, the first word came by phone on Monday afternoon: someone had been arrested, but police could offer nothing more. Relatives gathered in a video call, and spokesperson Ngatanahira Reremoana described tears of joy and an overwhelming wave of emotion. They were glad for at least one arrest and understood the case was still being built.
On Tuesday afternoon police confirmed a second arrest, a 28-year-old also charged with perverting the course of justice, due in court Thursday. Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard called the arrests welcome, said police had never stopped working for justice for Ru and his whanau, and said further charges are likely. The inquiry, Operation Huia, remains an active homicide investigation.
On Tuesday morning in the Hutt Valley District Court, a 33-year-old stood before Judge Michael Mika charged with wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice. The allegation is that on October 22, 2023, the defendant removed and disposed of a CCTV system from the Poole St home where a baby known as Baby Ru was living. That was the day he died.
Baby Ru's full name was Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall. He died after blunt-force trauma so severe that it fractured his skull. More than two years on, the case has produced its first public arrests, and they are not for his death itself but for what happened to the evidence around it.
No plea was entered on Tuesday. The defendant's lawyer asked for interim name suppression, and police did not oppose it. Judge Mika granted it until the next appearance on November 26. The defendant also sought bail, which police opposed, and the judge declined it and remanded the defendant in custody. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
The news had begun to emerge the day before, when RNZ revealed that someone had been arrested in connection with the police investigation. On Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed a second arrest: a 28-year-old, also charged with perverting the course of justice. That person is due in court on Thursday.
For Baby Ru's family, the first news arrived by phone on Monday afternoon. Family spokesperson Ngatanahira Reremoana told RNZ that police said someone had been arrested but could not give more information. Straight after the call, extended family members gathered in a video group chat. Reremoana said there were tears of joy, and that the family was overwhelmed with emotion. He said they were glad to have at least one arrest, and understood police were still building their case.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard called the arrests welcome news. He said police had never stopped working to establish what happened and to get justice for Ru and his whanau, described the death as a senseless tragedy, and said it was a relief to have made progress. He added that the investigation is continuing and that further charges are likely.
The inquiry, named Operation Huia, has been an active homicide investigation throughout. Speaking to RNZ last month, Pritchard said a small dedicated team was working on it full time, with oversight from a senior investigating officer. He said police were continuing to engage with the Crown solicitor and other forensic experts, working through evidential material and assessing the criminal liability of any persons of interest.
The next dates are fixed: the 28-year-old appears on Thursday, and the first defendant returns to court on November 26. Police have signalled that more charges may follow.
Citations marquantes
We have never stopped working to determine what happened here and get justice for Ru and his whanau.— Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard
We are happy now we have at least one arrest and they are still working on their case.— Ngatanahira Reremoana, family spokesperson
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Crime & Justice