The search for 36-year-old Phillips and his children, Jayda, Maverick and Ember, 10, 8, and 7 respectively, was reinvigorated after the sightings - the first in 17 months. Photos / Supplied
Waikato police say the local community’s help will be the key to finding missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his three children.
After a flurry of sightings last Wednesday which led to officers finding a ute Phillips allegedly stole, police “have been scanning all reports of possible sightings”, Inspector Will Loughrin said.
The search for 36-year-old Phillips and his children, Jayda, Maverick and Ember, 10, 8, and 7 respectively, was reinvigorated after the sightings - the first in 17 months.
Laughrin said officers were going door-to-door in Pomarangi, Te Anga and Marokopa Rd areas speaking to locals.
“We have received a large amount of information from the community, which we are piecing together, but we want to remind people that any little thing helps,” Laughrin said.
“Any piece of information – no matter how small, how old, or seemingly insignificant – could be the key piece of the puzzle we need to ensure we bring the children home safely.”
Yesterday, Laughrin asked people to report sightings of a Honda 50cc motocross bike, a 200cc black Suzuki Trojan, a 200cc Honda XR and a Honda 2008 FourTrax quadbike.
Police also want to hear about any historical sightings of a bronze-coloured Toyota Hilux ute.
He said they were unsure if the Phillips children have been driving the dirtbikes.
The wider Marokopa and southwest Waikato community should expect an increased police presence as they search for the family, Loughrin said.
Earlier, Loughrin said police wanted the Waikato community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. He urged locals to report thefts of fuel, food and other supplies.
He said people shouldn’t “take action themselves” if they see Phillips.
He also asked hunters to report “any signs of people being present in unusual or remote areas”.
Given Philips was disguising himself with a beanie and facemask while in public, “we need people to stay alert and to contact police immediately if they become suspicious”, Loughrin said.
But Phillips will keep hiding with his three children “as long as he can”, his cousin said earlier.
Phillips’ cousin, Trevor Neal, told Newshub: “As long as the kids are fine - I’d say they are, otherwise somebody would have heard something by now.”
“He could [still] be [in the area]. I don’t know,” Neal said.
Police released security footage from Phillips’ shopping excursion to Bunnings Warehouse on Wednesday, where he wore a beanie, glasses and a surgical mask.
Phillips’ trip to Bunnings was one of four sightings: the first at 12.30pm in Pokuru, south of Te Awamutu, the second between 3pm and 4pm at Bunnings on Kahikatea Dr and the third at 4pm at another Bunnings in Te Rapa, Hamilton.
The fourth sighting of Phillips was in Kāwhia at 6.45pm, where he was involved in an altercation with a member of the public. Police believed he was driving a stolen Toyota Hilux captured on security footage.
The owner of the ute was involved in the altercation, pursuing Phillips while he was driving the vehicle and trying to run him off the road, Newshub reported.
Inspector Loughrin said police received a report and responded immediately to the Kāwhia area but were unable to find the ute on Wednesday — even with the help of the police helicopter.
The owner discovered winter clothes and other items missing from their property that would be useful for a stay in the bush, Newshub reported.
The upset owners and their friends posted a photo of the ute on community Facebook pages that same day asking for people to report sightings of the vehicle, which they said was stolen from Honikiwi Rd during the day.
Photos released by the police last week from the store’s carpark show four 20-litre water storage containers, a red plastic fuel can, two rolls of plastic mesh and six 20L Bunnings buckets — all of which are listed for sale on the store’s website — in the back of the ute as he drove out just after 4pm.
Last Thursday, police said the appearances were the first confirmed sightings of the missing man since February 2021.
When Phillips and his children first went missing, their disappearance sparked a huge ground, sea and air search, with family at home fearing the worst as the father’s grey Toyota Hilux was found on the beach with waves crashing against it.
They returned home after 17 days, and in October, police charged Phillips with wasteful deployment of police resources.
But Phillips didn’t show up at the Te Kūiti District Court for his first appearance on January 12, 2022.
A warrant was then issued for his arrest.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.