Murray Trainer from Maketu had his car stolen twice in two nights in Rotorua.
Murray Trainer from Maketu had his car stolen twice in two nights in Rotorua.
Maketu’s Murray Trainer was gutted when his car was stolen and dumped while visiting Rotorua — then it was stolen again before the tow truck could reach it.
He is just one of several victims of car crime in the city during recent weeks, and police suspect a couple ofpeople on the run from authorities are responsible.
A police spokesperson said they had reports from the weekend alone of at least eight cars being stolen, two cars broken into and property stolen from at least one car. Three of the stolen cars had been found.
Police said the Glenholme and Rotorua central areas were targeted and it followed a pattern of “a small number of reports daily” from overnight offending.
Streets hit on the weekend included Ashley St, Wallace Cres, Kaikatea St and Totara St and other areas targeted included Victoria, Koutu and Ngongotahā.
Trainer said the next day, he saw a post on Facebook with photos of his car with smashed windows dumped at a layby near a walking track off Paradise Valley Rd. The poster had seen his “Maketu resident” sticker on the window and asked if anyone in Maketu was missing their car.
Murray Trainer from Maketu had his car stolen twice in two nights in Rotorua.
Someone commented they had called police after they saw the car lose control on Victoria St. It appeared to be travelling with another vehicle, a Subaru station wagon, the post said.
Trainer said a friend spotted the post and let him know where the vehicle was.
“The windows were all smashed and the side mirror was smashed off. They’d taken the battery and there was a laptop in the back, which wasn’t that expensive but it had photos on it of all the mokos and great-grand-mokos so that’s irreplaceable.”
Trainer called a towing company that day to pick his car up.
“But by the time they got there the next morning, it was gone again.”
He said he was shocked “the buggers” had taken it again.
Murray Trainer's Mazda station wagon was found dumped on Paradise Valley Rd.
“They can’t have taken it far. It was pretty dinged up and there was a stick out the front on the bonnet there that stood out like a s***house in the desert.”
Trainer said it was “shocking” it was stolen twice in such a short space of time, but he did not think Rotorua was alone in dealing with car thieves.
“I’ve just come back from the Gold Coast and the papers over there are full of ram raids and whatnot.”
Trainer said police told him there was a spate of cars stolen and broken into that same night.
“One of the coppers told me it might have been the same people they were chasing around all night.”
He said his vehicle had not been recovered.
The Rotorua Daily Post has approached police for information about the stolen Mazda vehicle.
Lily Prummel's car was broken into on Lytton St on Saturday night.
Rotorua woman Lily Prummel left her car at a friend’s house on Lytton St on Saturday night while she attended Harcourts Dancing for Hospice. She said she thought it would be safer there than left overnight at the Energy Events Centre carpark.
But she returned to a smashed rear quarter light. Her car was alarmed and she said it did not appear they had got inside and nothing was stolen.
She said it cost $500 to fix the window but thankfully her insurance covered it.
“I wish we could do something about these scumbags. I’m so sick of it. I guess it had improved for a couple of months but we are starting to hear these things again.”
Rotorua Daily Post reporter Laura Smith, who lives in Victoria, said her car was broken into overnight on Sunday for the third time in six months.
She said she normally parked her vehicle in the garage, but had to park on the road about 15 times in the past six months and that was when the break-ins happened.
Laura Smith's car was broken into in the Victoria area of Rotorua overnight.
“I just walk to my car now, see the glass smashed, and sigh. I use a steering wheel lock and keep the car as clean as possible to reduce the chances of being broken into, but apparently it didn’t work.”
Novus Rotorua owner Sonia Norton said the auto glass repair business had been noticeably busier during the past few months dealing with insurance claims for smashed windows on cars that had been broken into.
She said on Monday morning alone they had four requests.
In response to Rotorua Daily Post questions, police said they had lines of inquiry on some of these incidents and would urge anyone with information, or who saw unusual or suspicious activity around vehicles, to contact police.
Tips to prevent car break-ins and thefts
Always lock your vehicle.
Double-check it is actually locked instead of relying on remote locking.
A car alarm, or steering lock, are extra deterrents that do work.
Ideally, keep vehicles in a garage or out of sight.
If you have to park on the street, ensure the area is well-lit.
Remove all valuables including tools where possible. If it can be seen, it will be a target.
Keep receipts, warranties, valuations and serial numbers in a safe place.
Report any suspicious activity to the police as it is occurring.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
