He’s been wandering through properties since May, just “looking for something to steal”. There’s no obvious pattern to his behaviour, but each time he strikes, he puts a small Hawke’s Bay community on edge.
Residents of Waipawa have dubbed him the ‘Waipawa Prowler’. He’s targeted vehicles, sheds and outdoor areas in town.
But he’s not going indoors, police believe, leading to a call for the community to lock him out to shut him down.
Sky Carson, who lives on Collins St off State Highway 2, was targeted twice recently. She said it left her and others feeling paranoid.
The first incident happened about three months ago when her vehicle, parked up a shared driveway, was hit.
“They had got into my car and they took my driver’s licence, bank card, some electronics.”
Carson said she found an unopened container of creatine supplement powder nearby and after talking with a friend on Bibby St who was targeted at the same time, realised it was stolen from her.
“I asked her if she had this specific thing taken and she said ‘yeah that’s mine’.
“She had just ordered it online, it had just been delivered and they took that and dumped it on my back step.”
Carson described Waipawa as a close-knit community, and at the time of the first incident was unaware of the “Waipawa Prowler”.
The 28-year-old installed cameras and said she became extra vigilant at locking doors - so the second incident where she caught him on video caught her by surprise.
Carson said the burglar entered her property in the early hours on Saturday, August 10, and this time entered the outside shed just 10m from where she slept in the lounge.
This time posts put up by her neighbours on a local Facebook page alerted her to the intruder.
When she reviewed CCTV footage she watched as the male came on to her property at about 6.30am.
He entered the shed - which she said didn’t house too many valuable items - and walked out with a can of fuel.
“When they came on the property it was dark when they left it was daylight.
“They get to the end of my car and pick something up. At first I thought it was a suitcase but then I found out the neighbour’s speakers were stolen so they had gone to my neighbour’s first.”
Carson said she did not personally believe the first and second incidents were linked, but no one had entered her house on either occasion.
Central Hawke’s Bay Police say they are following leads as they attempt to catch the burglar, but they don’t have enough yet to make an arrest.
The roaming male has been targeting the small town since May, racking up 30 incidents where he has been sighted or caught on CCTV on people’s properties or has taken items from unlocked sheds or garages.
Senior Constable Andy Walker, Central Hawke’s Bay, says the burglar is an “opportunist” who has been spotted on CCTV “just wandering through properties, looking for something to steal”.
“He doesn’t always take anything but when he does it’s from unsecured sheds, cars and off porches and decks. He has taken tools, clothing and even footwear. He operates on foot and takes items that are easy to carry.”
Police have been poring over CCTV footage but Walker says none of it has been clear enough.
“There’s no pattern to his behaviour. He tends to operate between midnight and about 5am, wearing a hoodie, gloves and a face covering so is hard to identify.
“He’s not thought to have entered any dwellings. One of two incidents reported in Collins St Waipawa in the weekend did involve entering a house - the culprit ate a packet of macaroons out of the householder’s pantry - but we don’t think that was the Waipawa prowler.”
While some residents have taken to Facebook to ask advice about installing cameras, one man has started patrolling the streets after dark.
“Don’t be worried if you see a white car driving around” he took to a community FB page to say “I’m patrolling to look for the Waipawa prowler.”
Police say they don’t want people taking the law into their own hands, urging that anyone seeing suspicious activity does not engage.
“You could be confronting someone innocent. Phone the police, take down a description. If you really want to get involved do it properly and volunteer with the CHB Community Patrol where you can help make a difference. Otherwise you’re just wasting fuel.”
But the best advice, says Walker is “lock up your properties”.
“We are still getting called to jobs where people’s sheds and garages have been unlocked. By all means put up cameras - the more footage we can get the better - but first and foremost lock up everything.”
Police ask anyone seeing suspicious activity to phone 111. Anyone wanting to share information anonymously can ring the police non-emergency line on 105, or Call Crime Stoppers, free, on 0800 555 111. Crime Stoppers guarantees that calls cannot be traced. Calls are not recorded and the caller ID number is not able to be viewed in the call centre.
Rachel Wise is Hawke’s Bay communities team leader and CHB Mail editor.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.