Iraena Asher's sister Angelique returned to her Auckland home yesterday to find burglars had been busy as she searched for her missing sister.
The burglars broke into her Massey home and stole her television, DVD, video players and clothes dryer, as the family concentrated on looking for Iraena.
Iraena disappeared in the
west Auckland beach suburb of Piha on October 10, several hours after making a 111 emergency call to police for help.
Police have been criticised for sending a taxi rather than a patrol car to the area.
However the taxi never reached Iraena, who disappeared, in her underwear or naked, after earlier in the night being taken in by local residents and given a shower.
Police said they were giving the burglary priority treatment but would not say if it was linked with the disappearance of the 25-year-old, who was taking daily medication to control her bi-polar disorder.
The family has left the beach as the search for the missing woman is scaled down amid a feeling there is little if any hope of finding her alive.
The aerial search using the police helicopter Eagle continued today and police continued with their appeal to about 50 home owners in the area, who may not have been there the weekend Iraena disappeared, to check their properties.
Police spokesman Jayson Rhodes said officers were also still interviewing people who were at the beach during the weekend.
During yesterday's beach search one of the park rangers helping with the search was trapped by the tide for a short time.
- NZPA
