PLEA TO THIEVES WHO STOLE PORTABLE CABIN
Far North housing charity Whare to the Whenua is appealing to the thieves who stole a vulnerable man’s portable cabin to “do what’s right” and return it.
Kaikohe-based Whakamanamai Wha¯nau Trust director Rhonda Zielinski, who runs the Whare to the Whenua scheme to help Northland’s homeless, said there have been numerous sightings of Eric Monk’s cabin since it was stolen from ancestral Ma¯ori land in Waitangi last Saturday.
However, it still hasn’t been recovered.
Monk had been renting the cabin for six months while trying to get his life back on track after years in and out of prison.
An old white Transit van was seen towing his 6x3-metre cabin, containing all his belongings, out of the Tahuna Rd papaka¯ inga development about 8pm.
It is believed to be an “inside job”. “They have stolen someone’s home with everything in it,” Zielinski said.
“If you needed help we would have gladly helped you. You did not need to steal the portacom of a person who was homeless when we met him.
If anyone knows something please kia kaha, be courageous . . . do what’s right.”
The theft was reported to the police soon after it was stolen on Saturday.
Zielinski said she has received numerous “positive sightings” of the cabin between Kawakawa and Whanga¯rei. “We’ve had overwhelming support from the public in helping track movements of the cabin, we have an address and we’re waiting for police to action it.”
A police spokesman said, “Inquiries are continuing to progress around recovering the portacom.”