Persistence has paid off for a Mount Maunganui man who is reunited with his stolen Pixie caravan today.
Police last night converged on a storage unit in Papamoa East after locating Jonas Ruf's Pixie 10 caravan, which was stolen in the early hours between Monday and Tuesday last week.
Jonas Ruf's Pixie 10 caravan has been found and returned by police. Photo: Supplied.
The theft left Jonas appealing to the public for vital information about the caravan's whereabouts, and the German ex-pat included a $1000 reward.
'You go through ups and downs in terms of whether it will be found, but I never really gave up hope,” says a relieved Jonas, speaking to SunLive from Auckland.
'I just kept going and going on my laptop and Facebook, looking where I could to upload more posts and more photos.”
Jonas' online appeal to anyone who might have spotted the vehicle went viral, while he also posted flyers around Mount Maunganui.
He spent six months transforming the old Pixie 10 into something new. From the interior to the exterior and even the wiring, Jonas has replaced the lot.
Even the cabinets were crafted by his own hands.
Earlier this week police released CCTV footage showing a white flat-deck ute towing the caravan through the Oceanbeach Road and Golf Road intersection towards Papamoa at around 4am last Tuesday.
He says the person who spotted the caravan is asking for privacy, but Jonas is staying true to his word and will be handing over the $1000 reward.
Picking up the caravan from Tauranga Police last night, Jonas admits the Pixie 10 isn't back in 'its usual spot” on Hart Street as he considers possible security measures.
'I need to buy a wheel clamp and I'm going to be more careful in the future,” he says.
'I was surprised someone went to all that effort to steal the caravan as you had to break two locks to get into it and had to wind up the leg. Also, it was parked between my car and my mate's car.”
Acting Detective Sergeant Sally Prentice-Jones confirms the discovery is the result of a tip-off from the public and a 24-year-old Tauranga man has been arrested and charged with unlawful taking of a vehicle and an unrelated theft.
He will appear in Tauranga District Court next week.
'I guess it's clear that a lot of hard work went into restoring it, so it's always pleasing to be able to return those sentimental items to those people,” says Sally.
1 comment
Well Done Everyone
Posted on 05-03-2015 19:41 | By Surfwatch
When stolen goods are recovered and the perp is arrested, it makes everyone else just that much safer.
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