Car fire victim familiar face in the Kerikeri community
Police have confirmed the death of a woman in a car fire near Kerikeri last week was not suspicious.
Nalinee Giri, aged 56, was found when firefighters were called to a blaze at the end of Wharau Rd about 7pm on April 13.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Fouhy, of the Far North CIB, said police were continuing to make further enquiries on behalf of the coroner but her death was not being treating as suspicious.
The scene, next to a beach access ramp at Wharau Bay, was blessed by a kaumātua last week.
Fouhy said police extended their condolences to Giri’s family at what was a difficult time for them.
Police closed the end of Wharau Rd while they investigated the scene.
The burnt-out hatchback was removed and the road reopened the following afternoon.
Giri was well known in the Kerikeri community as the owner of Jaffas Dressing Rooms, which from about 2018 sold clothing, home decor and art from a pink house opposite Countdown on Kerikeri Rd.
She was also known for her sense of community and concern for others, which she expressed, among other ways, by setting up a pātaka kai offering free food to those who needed it.
Fridges outside her shop, which operated on the principle of “give a little, take a little”, were also stocked with free clothing, children’s toys and books.
At the time she said she wanted to reduce waste and recreate the strong sense of community she remembered growing up in South Auckland.
The store is closed with a message on its Facebook page stating: “Hello everyone, until further notice jaffas dressing rooms will be closed.”