Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Neighbour disturbs alleged arsonist's escape from burning Hastings home

By Victoria White
Reporter·Hawkes Bay Today·
3 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tracey Hibbs was glad her daughter, Ella-Rose, 6 (middle), and friend, Leeanah-Rose, 4, weren't outside when a wanted man fled through her property, leaving a blood trail, and stains, including this bloodstain on neighbour Zoe Gifkins' house. Photo / Paul Taylor

Tracey Hibbs was glad her daughter, Ella-Rose, 6 (middle), and friend, Leeanah-Rose, 4, weren't outside when a wanted man fled through her property, leaving a blood trail, and stains, including this bloodstain on neighbour Zoe Gifkins' house. Photo / Paul Taylor

The hunt is still on for the person responsible for a 200m trail of blood which led from a burning Hastings home, and through several properties in a "quiet cul de sac".

Police are investigating Tuesday's suspicious fire on Holmes Place, Flaxmere, which started about 3pm and left a home extensively damaged. The home's occupants, Mauluulu Taulafo, his wife, and their 1-year-old daughter, had been out shopping when it occurred.

Detective Sergeant Daryl Moore yesterday confirmed reports someone had entered the house shortly before the fire and left before emergency services arrived.

"There is a trail of blood leading from the house down to Boston Cres which is more than 200m away."

This trail leads from the burned house through properties belonging to Zoe Gifkins and Tracey Hibbs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Blood splatters are dotted up Ms Gifkins' driveway, then circle the car port before leading back down the drive and into the neighbouring property of Ms Hibbs. She believes the man jumped a fence and ran across a reserve to Boston Cres.

Ms Gifkins, whose yard also borders the reserve, said she thought she had disturbed the man while he was in her yard. There is a smudged bloody handprint on the side of her house, near the back door she exited when she heard about the fire.

The residents said the culprit being in their yards made them feel unsafe. They were glad none of the neighbourhood children had been playing in the quiet street when the incident unfolded.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The kids could have been outside, being that time of day," Ms Hibbs said. "We're a close cul de sac here. It's a bit too close to home."

The pair had followed the blood trail across the reserve on Tuesday night, and thought the person had a getaway car waiting for him as the blood trail suddenly stopped.

The burned house after the suspicious fire. Photo/Paul Taylor
The burned house after the suspicious fire. Photo/Paul Taylor

Mr Moore said police would like to speak to a "person of interest" who was likely to have a fresh injury to one of his hands or arms that will be bandaged or covered with plasters.

He was believed to be aged between 25 and 30 years old. He was described as Polynesian and approximately 175 to 180cm tall, about 85 to 95kg and of athletic build.

He was described as having a "scraggly afro of dark hair", about 5cm long, with stubble on his face. He was wearing a navy blue T-shirt and spoke English with a strong accent.

On Tuesday the man who lived in the home behind the family said he had heard the sound of breaking glass before the fire started.

Ms Gifkins described their neighbours as "the loveliest people", who she thought had been in the house for about six months. She thought it was the baby's room which had been worst affected.

- Anyone who has seen this man, or has any information, is asked to call Hawke's Bay Police CIB on (06) 873 0531 or call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay’s $100m private hospital finished after five-year build

10 Jul 12:56 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Drive-through sushi restaurant opens at former Hastings gas station site

10 Jul 12:00 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier woollen yarn producer to close, 26 job losses

09 Jul 10:31 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay’s $100m private hospital finished after five-year build

Hawke’s Bay’s $100m private hospital finished after five-year build

10 Jul 12:56 AM

Kaweka is the first hospital to be built in Hawke's Bay in almost a century.

Drive-through sushi restaurant opens at former Hastings gas station site

Drive-through sushi restaurant opens at former Hastings gas station site

10 Jul 12:00 AM
Napier woollen yarn producer to close, 26 job losses

Napier woollen yarn producer to close, 26 job losses

09 Jul 10:31 PM
Watch: Close call as ute nearly hit by heritage train

Watch: Close call as ute nearly hit by heritage train

09 Jul 08:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP