A fugitive on the run with his three children in the New Zealand desert could be getting help from a gang of locals helping them hide, locals have revealed.
Tom Phillips disappeared with Jayda, 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight, near his parents’ home in Marokopa, south of Auckland, in December 2021 following ongoing disputes with his mother, Cat.
The family was feared dead until Oct. 3, when three teenage hog hunters filmed them crossing private property very close to where they disappeared, dressed in camouflage and carrying large backpacks.
Locals in the Waikato region told Daily Mail Australia that they lock their sheds at night for fear that Phillips, who used to homeschool his children and never had a proper job, could loot their property.
Police alleged the rogue father robbed a bank, stole two quad bikes and is “armed and dangerous.”
Those who live in the area said finding food in the wild would not be too difficult because there are a large number of wild boars, cattle and possums.
But they added that staying warm in frigid conditions and staying out of sight would be nearly impossible without help.
“It’s rained a lot over the last few weeks and they’ve survived two winters – no matter how good you are at bushcraft, you can’t escape the cold and wet like that with three small children.” said a man.
“People must be helping him.”
Pictured: A ‘missing’ sign in the window of a shop in the Waikato region where the family went missing.
Pictured: The Phillips family home. Tom Phillips was staying there before disappearing with his children.
Julia and Neville declined to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia.
The town of Marokopa has only 20 permanent residents, among them are Phillips’ parents, Neville and Julia.
Marokopa and several neighboring towns are dotted with Phillips’ “Missing” signs and the faces of children.
When approached by Daily Mail Australia, Phillips Sr. did not publicly appeal to his son to bring his grandchildren back home.
Instead, he said, “You are prohibited from entering my property.”
Others in the area were convinced that the police had acted too slowly when they saw the family on October 3 and asked why the military was not called to search.
“When the police arrived it was too late,” said one man.
“He would have walked down the hill and left on foot in about 30 minutes; they needed to get there quickly and they didn’t.”
The police search was resumed after the latest sighting, but was suspended after a few days.
Photocutred: Marokopa, which only has about 20 permanent residents living in the town.
Locals believe someone is helping fugitive father Tom Phillips (pictured), who is on the run with his three children.
This week, there was no sign of any police officers or vehicles in Marokopa or surrounding towns. The nearest police station is more than an hour away.
“You can call them here, but, you know, they have to finish their tea and take a break and then come here, so it may take a while,” one woman said, half-jokingly.
Military lawyers told the NZ Herald that police cannot conduct long-distance patrols in search of Phillips and his children, but it is within the capacity of the New Zealand Special Air Service.
Matthew Hague told the outlet that could only happen if the Police Commissioner was satisfied that a situation was beyond the capacity of the police.
The Commissioner could then make a formal request to the Prime Minister to order the entry of the armed forces.
If the military were used, it would have the power to make arrests and use lethal force if necessary, but it would also have to do everything possible to avoid confrontation.
Locals gravely fear that if Phillips is ever located and cornered, the situation could turn deadly.
Pictured: The children with their mother, Cat, at Jayda’s birthday.
Cat (pictured) is the mother of missing children Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8, who are believed to be living off the land with their fugitive father, Tom Phillips.
The father and his three children, who have not been seen for three years, were spotted on the west coast of New Zealand (pictured)
“I hope there’s not a final confrontation, you know, like a shootout or something,” one said.
‘Those poor children. “They are going to be traumatized.”
As well as kidnapping his own children, Phillips is wanted for questioning over an alleged armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti, near Marokopa, in September 2023.
Security footage of the alleged armed robbery showed a man on a motorcycle with a smaller accomplice sitting on the back. They were both dressed head to toe in black clothing. Police said the second robbery suspect was a woman.
The teenager who saw the family initially thought they were poachers, so they filmed the group as they walked through the hills.
One girl, whose face was covered with a mask, was told the property was private.
She said, ‘Yeah… sure.
Then the teenager asked: ‘Does anyone know you’re here?’
She said: No, just you.
An $80,000 reward was offered for information leading to the three children, but it expired after eight weeks with no results.