NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

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 / New Zealand

Car kidnap mum: 'She is one tough lady'

By Morgan Tait, Anna Leask, Natalie Akoorie
NZ Herald·
26 May, 2013 05:30 PM4 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

Ana Eriepa used a $15,000 ACC payout to buy her first car ... Less than a day later she was fighting for her life after being dragged behind it at 100km/h. Photo / Supplied

Ana Eriepa used a $15,000 ACC payout to buy her first car ... Less than a day later she was fighting for her life after being dragged behind it at 100km/h. Photo / Supplied

New car, new relationship - then horror attack leaves mother fighting for life.

Within 24 hours of buying her new car, Ana Eriepa was being dragged from the back of it at high speed as she tried to escape from the boot after being kidnapped.

Meanwhile, the three children living with her were waiting at home for their mother to return - unaware of the drama playing out near a small Waikato settlement.

Police then had to tell the youngsters, aged 8, 12 and 14, that their mum was in hospital fighting for her life.

They are still piecing together how Ms Eriepa, 37, ended up in the boot of her Subaru and why she was dragged 1.7km along State Highway 1 near Tokoroa at 100km/h.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A 26-year-old man who was allegedly driving the car has been charged with kidnapping, and will appear in the Rotorua District Court today.

An online profile says Ms Eriepa is a stay-at-home mum who previously worked part-time at a rest home.

An acquaintance of Ms Eriepa said she had separated from her partner, the father of her children, late last year. Last week, she added a new relationship to her Facebook page.

The acquaintance said Ms Eriepa had recently received an ACC payout of about $15,000, which she used to buy the Subaru in Tauranga on Friday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She never had a car, this was her first car."

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said Ms Eriepa willingly left her Rotorua home with the man, described as an acquaintance, before lunchtime on Saturday and the pair headed towards Taupo.

They stopped somewhere between Rotorua and Tokoroa, and police say the man forced Ms Eriepa into the boot, locked it and carried on driving.

At 1.45pm in Lichfield, between Tokoroa and Putaruru, Ms Eriepa managed to unlock the boot. But as she tried to escape the moving vehicle, her leg became caught and she was dragged along the highway.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Dragged mum's $100 promise to kids

27 May 05:30 PM
New Zealand|crime

Dragged mum: 'Where are my kids?'

30 May 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Warrant issued for dragged woman

02 Oct 01:10 AM

Mr Turner said horrified motorists tried to force the man off the road, but he continued driving at 100km/h as Ms Eriepa bounced behind the car like a dummy.

Agricultural contractor Bernard Trumper, who driving towards Putaruru was one of the first to reach Ms Eriepa after she fell free.

"She is one tough lady, she deserves to live," he said yesterday.

He said that as he was driving his tractor, "I saw this dark-coloured vehicle come past me and this person being dragged behind by her leg ... She was stuck by the leg between the drawbar and the bumper of the car.

"It didn't look like a human rolling across the road and sliding down the road. You would have just thought it was a bag or rubbish. It was horrible."

A man and a woman in a white ute with a child had pulled into the oncoming lane to try to get the car to pull over, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Trumper said the woman finally fell free of the car. He pulled over behind her to try to protect her, flashing his lights at oncoming traffic.

"I noticed she was breathing and was conscious. I was with her the whole time until she went into the helicopter. She wasn't saying a lot, she was just answering our questions."

He described her injuries as "seriously bad".

"She's a very, very, very lucky lady and she is such a strong person to survive this. She was conscious and awake the whole time."

The driver of the car kept going until he was pulled over by police going into Putaruru, Mr Trumper said.

Ms Eriepa was flown to hospital in the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance, and had surgery. Her condition had stabilised yesterday, but she was still listed as serious.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She has at least four children, but it is understood only three live with her. They were last night believed to be staying with their grandmother in Hamilton.

Ms Eriepa was not ready yesterday to speak about her ordeal but issued a brief statement through Waikato Hospital, requesting privacy and thanking everyone for their concern and support.

Mr Turner said Ms Eriepa had severe head and leg injuries and would require further surgery.

"She is going to have a significant stay in hospital and then ongoing medical issues."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m

05 Jul 09:16 AM
New Zealand

Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ

05 Jul 08:41 AM
Auckland

Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash

05 Jul 08:16 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m

Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m

05 Jul 09:16 AM

The winning tickets were sold in Auckland and on MyLotto to a Waikato player.

Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ

Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ

05 Jul 08:41 AM
Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash

Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash

05 Jul 08:16 AM
'Very sad and tragic': Baby found critically hurt at house dies, homicide probe launched

'Very sad and tragic': Baby found critically hurt at house dies, homicide probe launched

05 Jul 06:33 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP