Burglary suspect still on the run

Daniel Wason

A suspected burglar who sparked a manhunt by armed police earlier this week is still on the run.

Now police are appealing for any sightings of Daniel Donnelly Wason and using Facebook to urge the 24-year-old to hand himself in.

Kawakawa Sergeant Kevin Milne said police had a warrant to arrest Wason in relation to a burglary on Opua's English Bay Rd on Tuesday night.

When police searched a rural Mid North property on Wednesday they found the shotgun taken from English Bay Rd but Wason himself fled on foot.

He was not located despite a search of bush and rough farmland in the Oromahoe area by armed police and a sniffer dog.

As well as the stolen firearm, Mr Milne said police located other "items of interest" that appeared to have been taken in another, as yet unreported, burglary.

It was possible the owner did not realise the items were missing. Until police had had a chance to speak to Wason they would not say what the other items were.

Mr Milne said the owner of the property where the stolen firearm was found was unaware that the offender had hidden the gun at his house.

"I want to stress that the occupier of that address is not involved in this offending in any way at all," he said.

A 17-year-old female associate of Wason's had already been charged for her part in the burglary. She would appear in the Kaikohe District Court at a future date.