New Zealand police have released new CCTV footage of what they believe is fugitive Tom Phillips and one of his children breaking into the same store he allegedly attempted to rob in 2023.
The father disappeared into the rugged wilderness of Waikato just before Christmas 2021 with his three children.
Ember, now 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, were taken by their father following a dispute with their mother.
He does not have legal custody of his children.
Since then, there have been several reported sightings of the family, but police have been unable to apprehend Mr Phillips.
On Friday, police released footage of an alleged break-in at a Piopio business on Wednesday morning.
They believe the man and child, seen in the footage with covered faces and using a quad bike, are Mr Phillips and one of the three children.
The same store was targeted, unsuccessfully, by Mr Phillips in November 2023.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Saunders said the pair were in the area for about 13 minutes and appeared to do "reconnaissance".
He told reporters police believed they used a grinder to enter the store and allegedly stole a number of grocery items.
"He certainly appears very comfortable to just come all the way to Piopio and commit a burglary," Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders said.
"It certainly appears they're looking at the cameras, but as you'll see, they're covered up."
Possible 'falling out' of allies being considered
Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders said investigations would also consider whether the burglary meant Mr Phillips had a "falling out" with possible supporters.
"Does this mean he's potentially had a falling out with who's helping him, or he's just that brazen and confident that he's quite happy to come out and commit a burglary?" Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders said.
Mr Phillips's sister, Rozzi Phillips, recently broke her silence on the disappearance and also spoke on behalf of her mother, Julia.
"It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you, and see some of your stuff that is still here, thinking what could have been if you had not gone away," Mr Phillips' mother wrote in a letter, which Rozzi read to Stuff.
"Jayda, Maverick, Ember, I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives. Every day I wake up, and hope that today will be the day that you will come home."
[map]Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders said police were still open to negotiations with Mr Phillips, and prioritised the safety of his children.
"Our focus is actually the children. It always has been," he said.
For this reason, he shut down the idea of asking for SAS assistance.
Mr Phillips already faces a range of charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
"In terms of searching specific areas, we do have concerns around the risk Tom poses, so we're very careful in terms of searching," Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders said.
"Our focus is to bring those children out safely … we're not going to get into a confrontation situation."
