A thief who managed to get inside The Warehouse in Kaitaia at around 3am on Tuesday, smashed a display unit and stole $20,000 worth of gaming equipment, was confronted by a security guard as he exited the building but got away.
The security officer had pursued the offender for some time, a police spokesman said. He was picked up by the driver of a late model Toyota Hilux, and was last seen heading north on Matthews' Avenue.