Waikato police have arrested a second person in connection with a homicide in Raglan where a man was found lying on a road, dead, and a dog was also shot and wounded. 

Police arrested a 35-year-old man and charged him with unlawful possession of firearms in relation to 58-year-old Cedric Maniapoto’s death last week. 

The man appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday. Police arrested and charged a 29-year-old man with Maniapoto’s murder on Wednesday. 

Police have also begun focusing on two vehicles they hope members of the public will recognise - a black Toyota Hilux ute, EBM957, and a red Toyota Camry, SB857. 

Armed police descended on Ohautira Rd about 8.15am on Tuesday last week after Maniapoto’s body was found. 

Police investigations so far have found a dog named Napier turned up at a local store in Te Uku with a gunshot wound at 7 o’clock on the same morning. 

“This store is roughly 7 kilometres from the scene, and it has not been established how Napier got to the store with his injuries,” Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said. 

Police said Napier, a medium-sized brown and white dog, was a lucky survivor of his injuries and was recovering well. They confirmed Napier was not Maniapoto’s dog. 

Police are asking for sightings of a Toyota Hilux ute and Toyota Camry in connection with the homicide of Raglan man Cedric Maniapoto on Tuesday, March 5. Photo / New Zealand Police 

The Toyota Camry police want information about. Photo / New Zealand Police 

“Whilst police know [who] the dog’s owner is, we do not know how the dog got from the scene to the store. We encourage anyone who has knowledge of that to come forward and speak to police.” 

Police have asked anyone with information to call 105 or make a report on 105.police.govt.nz, quoting file number 240305/1701. 

“We are particularly keen to hear from people who were in the vicinity of East St in the early hours of Wednesday 6 March,” Saunders said. 

“As we piece together the movements of these vehicles, no piece of information is too small. 

Cedric Maniapoto. Photo / New Zealand Police 

The store where Napier the dog was found with a gunshot wound was some 7km from where Maniapoto was found dead. Photo / New Zealand Police / Google 

“Dashcam footage is exceptionally helpful, and we encourage anyone that has a dashcam and knows they were in the area around these times to check and provide anything of note to police.” 

Saunders added police were determined to find the person responsible for Maniapoto’s death. 

“It is devastating for Mr Maniapoto’s whānau to have to prepare to farewell a loved one who was so unceremoniously taken away.” 

The 29-year-old charged with murder was granted interim name suppression by Judge Noel Cocurullo after appearing in the Hamilton District Court on Wednesday afternoon. 

The accused also faced a charge of ill-treatment of an animal. 

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.