Tom Phillips, a New Zealand father who had been on the run with his three children for nearly four years, was shot dead by police during an attempted burglary in the small town of Piopio in the Waikato region, according to officials quoted by The Guardian on Monday.
Authorities said Phillips had been hiding in the remote forests of Waikato since late 2021. He fled with his three children, Ember, now aged nine, Maverick, aged ten, and Jayda, aged twelve, shortly before Christmas that year, following a custody battle with their mother.
Despite multiple sightings, Phillips and the children managed to avoid capture for years. Just last month, CCTV footage appeared to show him and one of the children breaking into a store, AFP reported.
In the early hours of Monday, police received a call about a suspected robbery at a store carried out by two people riding a quad bike. Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers of New Zealand Police said additional officers were deployed after earlier intelligence had placed Phillips in the same area. Officers used road spikes to stop the quad bike, which led to an exchange of gunfire. A second police patrol engaged with Phillips, and he was killed at the scene.
The children’s mother, known only as Cat in local media, told Radio New Zealand she was relieved the long ordeal was over. She said her children had been dearly missed every single day over the past four years and that she was now preparing to welcome them home with love and care.