Fear grips Wairarapa crime victim

SCARED: A woman burgled twice said she felt she needed to stay home over summer to protect her house.

A Carterton woman refused to leave her own home during most of the Christmas holidays, she says, fearing the return of burglars who had twice raided her property in past months.

"I just did not want to leave the house all summer. I felt like I had to be home all the time, that I had to stay home to protect the house," she said.

The woman, who declined to be named, had lost electronics and alcohol in the two raids despite her home being "totally secure" on both occasions; one burglary happening in the day and the other at night.

She had spoken to neighbours and other friends about the two raids on her home, she said, and eventually learnt of about a dozen burglaries committed since November in Carterton, which may include four daylight burglaries outlined in a Wairarapa Times-Age story that involved windows left open.

Two adult students in the town last week told the newspaper of the theft of their computers and irreplaceable study notes during the spate of burglaries.

The two women, who did not want to be named, contacted each other through the online trading site Hustle Live during their attempts to locate their stolen equipment, notes, photos and other possessions.

Police had told one of the burglary victims there had been four homes burgled in central Carterton, where the pair are living, during which the thieves had entered the properties through open windows.

The latest victim to come forward was told thieves had entered at least one of the burgled homes through an open window and a couple of other homes were alarmed and only larger outdoors possessions like barbecues and trailers were lost to thieves.

"I did pop a quick note into people's letterboxes warning them to be vigilant and the more I talked to people, the more I found out that homes around me had been burgled too."

She was also told of a Carterton home that was raided two weeks after the homeowners' dog was found dead, although she could not verify a link between the two events.

The women said the burglaries of her home and of her neighbours and fellow Carterton residents had left her unsettled, frustrated and afraid.

"I'm still really nervous about the whole situation. It scares me when I think they might come back a third time," she said.

"I also found it frustrating that some people up the street from me, and just people out and about, had no idea the burglaries were going on.

"I think the police do a wonderful job. I believe in what they're doing and wholeheartedly support them, but I do wonder if their communication with the community could be improved when there is a spate of burglaries."

Police had on Sunday a week ago arrested a 20-year-old man, who lives in Carterton and Palmerston North, and charged him with two burglaries committed in each of the centres, according to Detective Sergeant Barry Bysouth.