Police have launched CCTV footage which they imagine exhibits a fugitive father-of-three and one in every of his youngsters, virtually 4 years after they disappeared into the New Zealand wilderness.
Tom Phillips vanished together with his daughters Jayda and Ember, now aged 12 and 9, and son Maverick, 10, in December 2021.
There have been only a handful of confirmed sightings of them within the years since.
However police investigating a housebreaking on New Zealand’s North Island imagine footage from the incident exhibits Phillips and one in every of his youngsters.
The CCTV, captured at round 2am on Wednesday, exhibits a masked man with a toddler inspecting a storefront within the small city of Piopio, earlier than showing to interrupt in with an influence device.
New Zealand Police mentioned: “We believe the pair in this footage are Tom and one of his children.
“They had been within the space for 13 minutes, having travelled out and in on a quad bike.”
The pair left the store with quite a lot of grocery gadgets, they mentioned. Police say the shop is one Phillips is believed to have focused, unsuccessfully, in November 2023.
Picture:
Tom Phillips and his youngsters. Pic: New Zealand Police
Police are interesting for info from anybody who could have seen the quad bike between Piopio and the coastal village of Marokopa.
“At the heart of this are three children who have been away from their home for four years. Their well-being is our main focus,” the power mentioned.
Phillips already faces a spread of costs, together with aggravated theft, illegal possession of a firearm and aggravated wounding.
Police suspect he was concerned within the armed theft of a financial institution in Could 2023. A suspect regarded as Phillips was then caught on CCTV stealing a quad bike in November of that yr.
Final October, officers launched a serious search after a “credible sighting” of Phillips and his three youngsters mountaineering by a bush space, sporting camouflage and carrying massive backpacks.
Phillips’ household not too long ago appealed for him to return dwelling, together with his mom saying in a letter shared publicly: “Tom, I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this, not considering how much we love you and could support you.”
Police imagine his actions may very well be linked to a custody battle.
