Attributed to Detective Senior Sergeant Sally Patrick.

Eastern District Police investigating the assault of a woman and a house fire have obtained a warrant to arrest 51-year-old George Pineaha.

On Tuesday, 24 October, emergency services were called to a suspicious house fire at a Woburn Street address in Waipukurau. The injured occupant of the address was located at a nearby property and taken by ambulance to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition.

Developments in the investigation have led Police to charge Mr Pineaha with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and his warrant was issued this morning. We are not ruling out further charges, however our enquiries are ongoing.

We encourage Mr Pineaha to hand himself in and help us understand the events of October 24.

His whereabouts are currently unknown and he should not be approached. Please report sightings of Mr Pineaha to 111 immediately, referencing the file number 231024/7497.

As our investigation progresses, Police are continuing to provide support to the victim and her whanau at what is a very distressing time. We would like to thank the public for the information they have shared so far, which has been invaluable for our ongoing enquiries.

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