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A father, daughter and her boyfriend allegedly targeted dementia wards in rest homes and crept into rooms of elderly people with sight and vision problems during a two-month crime spree, police say.
Milton Paul Anderson, 43, his daughter Rose Te Raumahi Hira, 23, and Rose's partner Adam Matthew
Deed, 28, are facing charges for what police allege are their part in burglaries carried out in rest homes around Auckland.
Police say more charges may be laid. Hira and Deed face the most serious charges, while Anderson faces two charges of using a document to procure advantage.
Police allege Hira and Deed walked into the buildings unchallenged, and stole cash, and Eftpos cards from unlocked rooms.
Some occupants were present when the thefts took place, they allege, but the victims were sleeping or had vision and/or hearing impairments.
The three are accused of spending $16,561 from one resident's account over a two-day period.
Police allege they racked up 140 transactions at shops, including Bond & Bond, The Warehouse, Noel Leeming and petrol stations.
"If the allegations are found to be true, I would say they were looking for instant gratification," Senior Sergeant Andrew Berry said.
Video surveillance systems in rest homes in Manurewa, Howick and Pakuranga were used to identify the thieves.
Police allege Deed entered a dementia wing of one rest home to scope and possibly steal from patients.
Once staff became suspicious Deed, according to police, hid in a bathroom while a female patient lay on her bed.
He was found and removed from the property.
The trio will appear in Manukau District Court in March.
'IT'S DESPICABLE TO STEAL FROM HARMLESS OLD LADIES'
Eileen Lowrie, 95, is spooked after being burgled twice within weeks of each other.
The resident of Gulf Views rest home in Howick had her bag and $100 stolen from her room last December.
The second blow came two weeks later when she was taking a nap in her room and more money was taken.
"I was upset and it made me nervous after the first time," said Lowrie, who is almost blind.
Eileen's daughter Robyn Currie said the second theft caused great distress to Lowrie. The thieves took her disability card, which cost money and took several weeks to renew.
Currie believed her Eftpos cards were untouched because there was no pin number readily available.
"It's despicable to steal from harmless old ladies," she said.
Sue Milton, nurse manager of the rest home, said she saw a young couple with three small children at the time of each burglary.
"It wasn't until they were noted to be separated in the facility that the staff challenged them because we didn't recognise them.
"Staff realised their stories didn't match up and they were asked to leave the site. Some hours later two ladies discovered their wallets were missing."
Two weeks later, Milton alleged the same woman came back and was noted leaving the site. "We then did a check and another two people had money stolen," Milton said.
"The sad thing is one of the ladies who originally had her wallet taken had money taken a second time. It was pretty sick and dreadful.
"We try really hard to keep this facility secure but it is extremely hot at the moment and we have ranch sliders on every door."
Allegations three children were used as look outs has yet to be confirmed.
