A couple holidaying overseas learned there had been a break-in at their North Auckland home when they received a call at 4.30am from police wanting to know why they’d been driving erratically through the Brynderwyns and throwing beer bottles out their car windows.
Aviv and Reece Jones are the registered owners of a trailer and dirt bike that was being towed by a vehicle en route to Northland, which police had received numerous complaints about.
The couple were in Port Douglas, Australia, when they received the early morning wake-up call on Friday, December 6, from New Zealand police asking why they’d been driving so erratically.
They were pleased they could assure police it was neither of them behind the wheel of the suspect vehicle: “We’re old and we weren’t even in the country!”
However, the call also came with the realisation that their Dairy Flat property had probably been burgled. The trailer and bike had been in a locked shed that contained various other vehicles and tools.
It was in the middle of the day (at 1pm on Thursday, December 5) so it was a really “brazen and bold” thing for anyone to do, Aviv said.
Unfortunately and unusually, staff who live on site at the lifestyle property were all elsewhere when the intruders arrived. The intruders didn’t stay long though, scrambling when the shed’s “really loud” alarm went off, Aviv said.
They’d only managed to take the trailer and dirt bike.
Aviv said Reece was really upset by the loss of the bike as it was custom-made for him more than 20 years ago and he’d been looking forward to riding it again when they returned from Australia.
“And it must have been handled brutishly by the intruders as they left scuff marks on the ground from where they’d dragged it to the trailer, without even detaching it from its stand,” Aviv said.
Determined to recover at least the bike, Aviv posted pictures of it and the trailer on social media and was amazed when her post was shared about 200 times.
“It’s so cool how people are just sharing and sharing it.
“Most people are good people and want to help – they don’t want to know criminals are driving around,” Aviv said.
People who’d seen the posts had messaged with various sightings of the bike and trailer, many saying they’d seen it being towed erratically not only through the Brynderwyns, but also in Kaiwaka and Warkworth.
It appeared whoever was driving the tow vehicle didn’t seem to care about drawing attention to themselves.
One woman told Aviv she noticed the bike on the trailer because it was being transported incorrectly; lying on its side instead of secured upright.
That woman also claimed the driver had tried to race and intimidate her, Aviv said.
She’d passed all information on to police. Hopefully, it and footage from various cameras on the errant driver’s route to Northland would help police track down the suspect offenders, Aviv said.
She was overwhelmed by the public’s helpful response to her post.
“It’s a real testament to the power of word of mouth – good people, sick of criminals, wanting to help others,” Aviv said.
She was also “impressed’ by the interest police had taken in the case and their continuing work on it.
Police said they were still determining what was stolen and working to identify those responsible.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.