Car find a breakthrough in missing student search

Avondale CIB investigating the disappearance of 18 year-old Chinese student Jiayi Li, also known as Kiko, are being assisted by Hamilton Police tonight in the recovery of her red 1998 Toyota Altezza saloon car which is being taken to a secure location.

Police were advised of the whereabouts of the vehicle – in which Kiko was last seen in Kingsland, Auckland, shortly after 2am on May 19 - by a Hamilton resident who made a late night call to Police, seemingly after viewing TV3’s Nightline show.

The team investigating Kiko’s disappearance tonight arrested two young Lynfield men – an 18 year-old and a 20 year-old - who will appear in the Auckland District Court tomorrow charged with a range of offences including theft of some of her property and the attempted use of Kiko’s documents on May 19.

At this stage there have not been any sightings of Kiko but her car will be thoroughly examined over the next 24 hours.

Detective Senior Sergeant John Sutton says recovering the car has been a major breakthrough in the search for Kiko and thanked the Hamilton resident who called Police and TV3 who featured the story.