A 54-year-old Hamilton man has died after he was stabbed while confronting a group of youths breaking into a vehicle.
Two teenagers have appeared in the Hamilton Youth Court following the death.
Police have launched a homicide investigation after local man Norman Kingi was found critically injured on Ranui Street at about 11:30pm last night.
He died shortly after midnight in Waikato Hospital.
Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley said it looked as if Mr Kingi disturbed a group of young people breaking into a vehicle and during a fight suffered a fatal wound.
He said a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old today appeared in the Youth Court, charged with aggravated wounding and unlawful interference with a motor vehicle.
A 12-year-old will be referred to Youth Aid.
Hamilton mayor Andrew King said Mr Kingi's death was a tragedy and his thoughts were with the local man's family.
"The police will do a really good job and following that the judicial will follow this through and it will run its course.
"Right now at this stage it's about our thoughts being with the family and it's just a tragic situation and we just really do feel for the family right now."
Mr King said the area around Ranui Street where Mr Kingi was killed was not known for being a dangerous place
"It's a reasonably good area. It's an old area, a 1960s area.
"It's not an area where we'd expect trouble in Hamilton of significant sort like this."
Police spokesperson Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley said police were still working to establish what had occurred.
"There has been a party in the area with a number of youth attending, and we are seeking anyone to come forward that may have been in the vicinity at the time.
"Our thoughts are with Mr Kingi's family and friends at this sad time."