Wet weather moves on so is summer finally on the way? Kiwi-made booster edges closer to human trials and just how much more manufacturers are paying for in-demand carbon dioxide in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
An Auckland man is frustrated by the police response after his car worth $100,000 and his late parents’ safe were stolen from his garage while he was on a holiday.
The man, who does not want to be identified, says he was alerted to the dumped remains of his car after he posted about the theft and that police did little to help.
The Mt Albert man returned from Omaha, north of Auckland, on January 8, and the next morning he found his garage door had been bent.
He then discovered some valuable items were missing.
“They took my late parents’ safe with all my mother’s jewellery. I hadn’t even looked into it since my parents passed.
“I was devastated. The car was stolen. It was unique and I hadn’t driven it for two years, it was being modified, and that’s why it had no insurance. It was worth at least $80,000-$100,000,” he told the Herald.
A man's unique car worth $80-100,000 was stolen from his Mt Albert home's garage. Photo / Supplied
The car was a 1977 Mazda 808 coupe.
The man said he was the third generation of his family living in the suburb and “it has never happened to us before”.
“I have never been robbed before at home. My whole life, I have lived in Mt Albert.”
He said the only response he’d had from police was when a forensics specialist came to his house.
“Police never got back to me yet. The forensics personnel who came to the house was nice, she took fingerprints.”
An Auckland man's 1977 Mazda 808 coupe was stolen and dumped in pieces on the side of the road. Photo / Supplied
After his post on Facebook went viral, a person contacted him to let him know his car had been dumped in pieces on the side of the road, he said.
“I am absolutely gutted to have lost the car, it was like my baby.
“They may have tried to sell its engine and ducts. They cut it up. Maybe because a lot of people had seen what the car looked like through my post. They had it in pieces to take it in a van or truck.”
The man said he was frustrated by police inaction.
“They didn’t really do anything. It’s terrible.
“They probably don’t even care. I can see why the country’s buggered and up in arms with crime, looks like these people can get away with it.”
He said he had not been able to leave home since the incident and had plans to get tightened security system installed.
Among the stolen items were the couple’s wedding rings and dress, a travel journal full of memories, hard drives of unbacked-up photos and nursery belongings for their nearly-due baby.
Thieves also stole the couple’s passports and their truck.
Hugh and Janene left for a camping trip on Thursday last week. Their Richmond home was locked up to protect their belongings while they enjoyed their vacation away.
They arrived back on Sunday morning to find their garage was broken into and their truck missing, with a rogue mountain bike sitting on the drive.
