Rotorua: Police arrest man for burglary after German tourists’ campervan broken into

German tourists Carolin Sommer and Lennart Heiderich tracked down a suspected thief after their campervan was broken into in Rotorua.

Police have arrested a 46-year-old man after two German tourists reported more than $7000 worth of belongings had been stolen from their campervan in Rotorua.

The Rotorua Daily Post reported Carolin Sommer and Lennart Heiderich were five days into their six-week holiday when their campervan was broken into on Saturday, and “everything” was stolen.

The couple said they reported the case to police the same day and shared the location of their missing AirPods, which they had tracked with their iPhones, but claimed police did “nothing” for days.

Police on Thursday confirmed an arrest had been made in relation to the alleged burglary and a man was scheduled to reappear in the Rotorua District Court on January 9.

Some of the alleged stolen property had also been recovered, and police inquiries were ongoing, a spokeswoman said.

German tourists Carolin Sommer and Lennart Heiderich at Waiotapu near Rotorua.

Sommer said police told the couple on Thursday morning that the police had searched a property in connection to their case.

She said they were “happy that something happened and has been done”.

They had not yet spoken to the police about which belongings had been recovered but could see one pair of AirPods were located at the police station.

The couple were on their way to the South Island but would return to Rotorua in two to three weeks to collect their things from the police station.

‘Deeply disappointing’

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said it was “deeply disappointing” someone had stolen from tourists in Rotorua.

He said it not only impacted the couple, but the many other people in Rotorua whose livelihoods depended on it being a visitor destination.

Police would be taking it seriously, he said.

“Our police often are stretched because there is a lot of crime and where they can respond quickly, I know that they want to.”

McClay said he would talk to Tourism Minister Matt Doocey and Police Minister Mark Mitchell “because New Zealand’s reputation is extremely important just as Rotorua’s is”.

He planned to discuss what different assistance or resources the police might need to deal with such incidents.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / Andrew Warner

McClay said it “comes to the issue of responsibility” and that’s why the Government was “toughening up laws and consequences” for those who commit crimes.

McClay said he was “very sorry” for what had happened to the visitors and offered an apology “on behalf of our city”.

“And [I] hope that we can find a way to make sure this doesn’t ruin what I imagine was a great holiday so far.”

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Laura Smith

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said the couple’s break-in experience was disappointing and not the “expected or usual experience visitors have in Rotorua”.

“We’re a top destination for visitors who often share their great experience of our warm and caring local people.

“It’s a real shame that a few people make us look bad when the reality is we’re a great place to visit and a great place to live.”

Community safety was “very important” to local police, and it was good to hear there had been an arrest in this case.

She appreciated the tourists’ frustration with police, who she said worked “incredibly hard”.

“Ensuring we have enough police in Rotorua is an issue that I have raised directly with the Police Minister. But in the meantime we must work with what we’ve got and it’s appropriate that police prioritise jobs with the limited resources they may have at the time.

“Unfortunately solving crime takes time and I thank the police for all that they’re doing to keep Rotorua safe.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.