Police Make Arrest of Handbag Burglar

Kapiti and Masterton Police have arrested a man in connection to a number of burglaries committed in Kapiti, Pukerua Bay and Masterton areas over the last two months.

Handbags and wallets were mainly targeted, giving the offender access to cash and bank cards, which were used at ATM machines to withdraw the victims' money. The offender would usually discard the remaining property near the place he stole it.

The offender committed the offences during the hours of darkness, and was known to enter insecure addresses and vehicles to steal property while occupants were in the house.

The 40 year old Upper Hutt man appears in the Porirua District Court today charged with 11 burglaries. Further burglary and fraud charges will be laid at a later date.