KATIKATI POLICE REPORT
Burglaries — Between Tuesday February 20 and February 22 two nearly finished houses on Patricia Place (near Caltex) were entered and two new Panasonic ovens, two cook tops and two heated towel rails were stolen.
About midnight on Friday February 18 a caravan parked on a Esdaile Rd property was entered by an intruder.
The male ran off when he realised he had been seen by a person on the property and left in a nearby white vehicle (possibly an early 1990s Nissan Skyline because it had round tail lights).
About 1pm on Thursday February 17 an intruder was disturbed at a home in Lowe Rd, Whakamarama. The house was open because the occupier was working from home.
The offender ran from the house and it is believed they got into a nearby white vehicle which could have been a utility or a van.
Patrols were unable to locate the vehicle. People in the area should stay vigilant and be wary of their security. Report any suspicious behaviour in the area.
A house under renovation on Hot Springs Rd was burgled on February 16 or 17. A chainsaw, deck lights, LG vacuum cleaner and other tools were stolen.
Theft — Two females were observed allegedly stealing a number of items from the Waipuna Hospice shop in Katikati on February 18. We are still attempting to identify them.
On February 18 a 6HP Honda outboard motor, a Simrad Tillerpilot and a Garmin Striker fish finder were stolen from a boat moored at Tanners Point.
Wilful Damage — A letterbox was damaged in Park Rd over the weekend.
Graffiti was spray-painted at the rear of Waipuna Hospice shop on the Main Rd.
Other — A vehicle sustained extensive damage to its roof, bonnet and windscreen after two large base plates fell from a mobile crane travelling south on State Highway 2 near Lund Rd.
A woman whose vehicle was struck by one of the base plates was taken to Tauranga Hospital after being sprayed with glass fragments and was very lucky not to have been more seriously hurt.
A second following vehicle was struck by the same base plate causing damage to its tail gate.
An elderly Katikati woman was scammed out of over $3000 from her bank account by a cold caller claiming to be from Amazon and calling from an overseas number.
The line of the scam was that the victim somehow owed Amazon some money and through careful manipulation he convinced the woman to give enough details for him to be able to empty her account. There is little prospect of recovering the money.
These confidence scammers are operating all the time, coldcalling people with various excuses. Surprisingly, many people are falling for the scams, losing thousands of dollars from their accounts over the phone.
Never disclose any details of your personal bank accounts, internet accounts, passwords or PIN codes to anyone over the phone. Legitimate businesses will not ask for these details. It’s best to hang up.
Found property — Nil. Arrests and Apprehensions — A 31-year-old Te Puna man has been charged after an alleged local petrol drive-off.