Search and rescue teams have hunted the shorelines and island of Rotorua's Blue and Green lakes for Jeremy Robertson after the death of a woman in Pahīatua.
Search and rescue teams have hunted the shorelines and island of Rotorua's Blue and Green lakes for Jeremy Robertson after the death of a woman in Pahīatua.
Search and rescue teams are scouring two Rotorua lake shorelines amid a police hunt for a suspect in a homicide hundreds of kilometres away.
Jeremy Robertson has been on the run for a week, having allegedly taken a car from a property in Pahīatua where a woman was found deadlast Wednesday.
The man, in his 50s, is believed to have driven the car about 350km to Rotorua, where the vehicle was found abandoned at the Blue and Green Lakes lookout on Tarawera Rd.
Officers released Robertson’s name and photo earlier this week, advising the public not to approach him but to call 111 if they saw him.
The officer in charge of the case advised this morning that search and rescue teams have now gone out along the shoreline of two lakes and the Green Lake’s island as part of the search for Robertson.
Police have been seeking sightings of Robertson in an effort to track his movements since he drove to Rotorua.
Police earlier said they wanted to speak with him in relation to the incident on Arthur St, Pahīatua, where a woman was found dead in a residential property next to a school.
Police are seeking Jeremy Robertson in relation to the death of a woman in Pahīatua.
It is believed Robertson arrived in the Tarawera Rd area in the Mitsubishi about 2am on Thursday.
Members of the public had seen the vehicle parked at the lookout carpark from about 8am on the Friday.
“Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen this vehicle, in this area, between 2am on Thursday 15 and 8am on Friday 16, October,” Thompson said.
“We are also interested in any sightings of Jeremy in the Tarawera Rd, Rotorua area from Thursday 15 October.”
It was not clear if Robertson was still in the area or had left, and police urged the public not to approach him, but to call 111 immediately if they saw him.
Police believe Jeremy Robertson was driving a red Mitsubishi ASX, registration QGU91. Image / NZ Police
Non-urgent information can be passed to police via 105, quoting file number 251015/6286. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Armed officers were on guard outside the scene of the death late last week, with students having to be detoured to enter Tararua College through different routes.
Tararua College principal Iain Anderson, updated parents via a Facebook post last week.
“I am writing to inform you that an incident has occurred this evening at a property on Arthur St, adjacent to the school. As a result, the area will be cordoned off, and there will be an increased police presence – including armed officers – over the next few days."
He said there would be “changes and precautions”, including bus routes being redirected away from the bus bay, and senior leadership staff being on site early to “guide students safely into the school” and away from the cordoned area.
“Police have requested that the public avoid the vicinity as much as possible.
“The police have assured us that there is no threat to the community at this time. We appreciate your co-operation and understanding as we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff.”
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 12 years.
