Burglar targeted unlocked vehicles

A teen burglar who targeted at least 17 properties in one night found at least a dozen vehicles unlocked.

Tangimatua Ricardo Temaro, 18, tried his luck with many cars in driveways on his walk through the Blenheim suburbs of Springlands and Mayfield with a friend in the early hours of June 4.

Temaro found at least 12 vehicles unlocked, and two with the keys inside, a police summary of facts said. Several vehicles were locked but he broke or forced open windows on three of them.

He took from the vehicles thousands of dollars’ worth of items, such as bank cards and licences, wallets, a ‘‘bum bag’’, a pair of sunglasses worth $190, wireless headphones, a Lenovo tablet worth $250, and cash.

One car was left in the driveway with a door open and its lights on.

He also smashed the rear quarter-light window on a Suzuki Swift parked on McCallum St to take a pink handbag and a speaker worth $739 in total.

He entered a Mowat St property through an unlocked back door while the occupants slept, and took keys from the kitchen bench to unlock several vehicles on the property, taking property, including a handbag, worth $600 in total.

He entered a car in a driveway on Girling Ave and found the keys in it, started the car and drove it away about 3am, according to CCTV footage. It was found undamaged just around the corner, but a pair of school shoes, a set of keys and some wireless headphones were missing.

Police received 18 complaints connected to Temaro’s actions that night. A police dog trying to track him found the two handbags discarded up the road, the summary said. The dog unit found he had entered several other properties.

Several CCTV clips were supplied to police to help them piece together Temaro’s night.

Police identified Temaro as the culprit after they were called to a Beaver Rd property where he was seen trying to enter a property through the front door about 7pm on June 6. However, he appeared to have noticed a CCTV camera and left the address.

Police found Temaro in central Blenheim at 7.50pm and arrested him. Police found him in possession of two sets of vehicle keys and the ‘‘bum bag’’ taken two nights before.

Police also found the sunglasses in a search of Temaro’s property.

Temaro initially admitted five charges but denied 14 others at an appearance in July, and had elected a jury trial.

However, he changed his pleas to guilty at the Blenheim District Court on Tuesday. In total he admitted seven counts of interfering with a vehicle, seven of unlawfully entering a yard, and four of burglary.

His lawyer Bryony Millar said her client was on electronicallymonitored bail with a relative in Christchurch, but he was not able to complete a sentence there so they were still looking for a suitable address.

Judge Tony Zohrab ordered a probation report and an alcohol and drug assessment. He convicted Temaro and remanded him on bail to November 23 for sentencing.