Another Upper Hutt woman has told 1 NEWS she’s experienced two home intrusions late last year.
“Someone came into the house while we were sleeping and pinched items,” she said.
Living less than one kilometre away from other incidents in the Poets Block neighbourhood reported by 1 NEWS, the mother said she woke up to her laptop and handbag stolen.
“My wallet, keys and make-up bag were all gone,” she said.
However, she said that was just the first incident.
On November 15, the woman said she heard “footsteps walking slowly across the deck” while her family was in bed.
“'Is it possible this person is back?' I thought,” she said.
After peering through her bedroom window, the mother said she couldn’t see anything as it was dark outside.
The next morning, the woman said she discovered damage and one item missing from her other son’s sleepout.
“The sleepout had been broken into, my son’s desk was broken, but the only thing they took was his coat,” she said.
As a precaution, the mother said she changed her locks after the first incident.
“The whole thing feels like it is escalating behaviour, intended to be scary,” she said.
An Upper Hutt Community Patrol spokesperson said they want to reassure the public that this issue is being taken seriously.
“We put out extra patrols yesterday, and noticed a strong police presence too,” he said.
Victim Support spokesperson Petrina Hargrave said it’s normal to feel scared and anxious during challenging times such as these incidents.
“People take strength from their community at challenging times, and there is a lot of collective strength in a community,” Hargrave said.
Police said they are reminding the community to stay vigilant.
Have you experienced something similar in the area? Contact Abbey.Wakefield@tvnz.co.nz
