Kind act repaid by theft

An Easter Weekend getaway to Mangawhai has been tarnished for a couple after their act of kindness was returned with deceit and theft.

The couple, who do not wish to be identified, have had a place in Mangawhai for 15 years and are regular visitors to the area.

“The people are great, the place is growing and there's always something to do or somewhere to go,” they say.

On Easter Sunday, the couple were driving home when they came across two young men and their car, a blue Holden Calais, broken down near the intersection of Waiteitei and Whangaripo Valley Roads.

“As I was also driving a Holden, one of the men asked me if I had a spare wheel,” our good samaritan says. “They had just bought their vehicle and one of the wheels was the incorrect size and the car was no longer driveable. I was hesitant at first but decided not to judge a book by its cover. I parked up and helped by providing my spare wheel which fitted perfectly.”

As one of the men told him they were locals, he said he would follow them to their next stop. However one of the men said he also lived in Whangaparaoa and would ‘be more than happy to drop the wheel off later that day or next morning’.

“Against my better judgement but willing to cut them some slack we exchanged details and even though they were very cagey about giving any particulars one gave me his name, address and cell number and said he would contact me when he got home… and that's the last I saw of them. All the details they supplied were false.”

Both men are described as male Caucasians, late teens or very early twenties, ‘very skinny’ with numerous tattoos.

“One man was approximately 5ft 11in with short black hair. His most obvious tattoo was the one on his left inner arm that ran from his elbow to his wrist which said ‘Colleen Proctor’ with a date after it. He said he had grown up in Wellsford or Warkworth.”

The second man was about 5ft 8in, with a definable large tattoo on his neck that ‘scrolled onto his throat’.

If anyone in the community can provide further details or identify the men, please contact Mangawhai Police who have been advised of the theft. The men were driving a blue Holden Calais, registration number AJZ153.

“If anyone out there knows these two characters I wouldn't mind knowing who they are and where I might be able to locate them. I’ve often helped people who were broken down out there, taken some to inflate tyres and everyone is always grateful, these guys didn’t even say thank you. It hasn't changed my idea of helping people in trouble but it has certainly made me think twice about doing it in the future.”