Wanganui's gang of garden gnome-nappers covered a broad field of operations on Thursday night - from Gonville, across the river and up into Wanganui East.
Betty Work is dumbfounded her ornamental garden figurines hold any fasciation to anyone but herself.
Mrs Work and two of her neighbours with units at Masonic CourtHome for the Elderly in Wanganui East awoke on Thursday morning to find a substantial number of their garden ornaments missing.
Mrs Work lost about 20 items, including ornamental budgies, Dresden-style figurines and ornamental toadstools, while her neighbours are missing similar items and one a small, but heavy concrete bird bath.
"This happened the same night the gnomes were stolen from Walter Nash Place, but I don't know if the two burglaries are connected," Mrs Work said yesterday.
"I'm dumbfounded. None of my ornaments were of any value other than sentimental value to me.
"Some of them were even a wee bit damaged.
"I remember noticing they were all still on my patio ledge when I said goodbye to a friend around 8.30pm on Wednesday, but they had disappeared by Thursday morning.
"I've no idea why anyone would want them. Some of the ornaments were the only thing I had left of my dad's - it's disappointing, really," she said.
Mrs Work had reported the theft to police who are still trying to solve the gnome-napping case in Walter Nash Place in Gonville.
In that incident longtime Walter Nash Place resident Pat Holmes caught a glimpse of a woman, with what looked like a solar light, carrying her spoils to her car at 1.45am Thursday morning.
Mrs Holmes and two of her neighbours had garden gnomes and ornaments stolen.
