Human faeces left at Turangi op’ shop
‘‘I just wanted to sit there and cry. How could anybody be that disgusting.’’
Marae op’ shop volunteers in Turangi were left shaken after a box containing human faeces was left at their door.
What the dirty donor did not know was that CCTV camera footage in Turangi Mall picked up his actions for police volunteers to see.
Mary Smallman was working at Replay, an opportunity shop set up to raise money for Turangi’s Hirangi Marae, when she discovered the package outside the front door.
‘‘We often get people leaving goods at the door so didn’t think anything of it,’’ she said.
‘‘It was a smallish box and it was all taped up at the sides.
‘‘I opened it to find shit on a white skivvy.’’
Smallman closed the lid in a hurry and rushed to put the offending box outside.
‘‘I was shaken,’’ she said. ‘‘I didn’t know what to think. I just wanted to sit there and cry. How could anybody be that disgusting.’’
Smallman said she and other workers tried to think who might want some form of retribution towards their store.
‘‘I hate to think it might be racial, but I don’t know what else to think it could be,’’ she said. ‘‘I hope there is another explanation but I cannot think of anyone we could have offended or might be angry at us. We’re quite friendly to everyone.
‘‘Why would they do that deliberately.’’
Kathy Smallman, Mary’s sister in law, saw the CCTV footage.
She witnessed an older man riding a bicycle into town, carrying the parcel under his arm. He was sporting a goatee, was wearing a blue skivvy top and a red vest. The parcel was dropped off sometime between 8.35pm and 9.15pm on January 6.
‘‘When I saw the guy in the camera I was really angry,’’ Kathy said. ‘‘He deliberately put it there. ‘‘The cameras showed him heading around the back but then he came out to the front of the store with the box.
‘‘He rode up the alleyway, waited because there were people around, dropped the box in front of the door and rode off.’’
Turangi senior sergeant Tere Morunga said he would like anyone who might have information to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.