Video appears to show dad who fled into wilderness with kids 4 years ago
A New Zealand father who vanished into the wilderness with his three children nearly four years ago was likely spotted on a CCTV camera during a break-in at a local store, police said.
New Zealand police on Friday released nighttime footage that they believe shows Tom Phillips and one of his children apparently breaking into a store before driving away on a quad bike.
Det. Senior Sgt. Andy Saunders told reporters on Friday that the pair made off with some “grocery items,” according to a report by CBS News partner BBC.
CCTV footage released by New Zealand police appears to show Tom Phillips and one of his children breaking into a store. / Credit: New Zealand Police
Phillips took his three children – Ember, 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12 – from their family home in December 2021 over what police said was a custody battle. They are believed to be hiding and camping in the North Island’s western Waikato region.
A national search for the children was launched after their disappearance, and a $47,000 reward was posted for information on their whereabouts last year. The offer expired before it was claimed, the BBC reported.
Phillips and his children were last spotted in October 2024 when a group of teenage pig hunters spotted them trekking through the bush and filmed the encounter on their phones.
Since then, his family has appealed to Phillips to turn himself in and return the children.
“There’s a lot of love and there’s a lot of support, and we’re ready to help you walk through what you need to walk through,” his sister, Rozzi Phillips, told New Zealand news site Stuff in an exclusive interview earlier this month.
According to police, the latest CCTV footage was released in hopes that the community would report additional sightings of Phillips and his chidren. The apparent break-in happened around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday in Piopio, a small town in northern New Zealand.
Police said the pair appeared to use a power tool to break into a refrigerated container before making off with groceries on the quad bike.
Police said Phillips is believed to have unsuccessfully targeted the same store in November 2023.
Phillips faces a range of charges, including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“At the heart of this are three children who have been away from their home for four years,” Saunders said in a police statement. “Their well-being is our main focus.”
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Video shows fugitive father who disappeared with children in 2021, New Zealand police say