Fugitive dad living in the wilderness with three kids seen for first time in a year

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A dad who vanished in the wilderness with his three young children has been spotted for the first time in a year, breaking into a shop with one of his kids.

New CCTV footage appears to show Tom Phillips and a child forcing their way into a small shop in Piopio, New Zealand, before fleeing on a quad bike on Wednesday.

The dad took his daughter Jayda, now 11, nine-year-old son Maverick and daughter Ember, eight, from the town Marokpa in the north of the country in December 2021 to live in the wilderness.

They were spotted wearing camouflage gear in October 2024, with another alleged sighting taking place by the State Highway 4 in February.

Police, who say they are ‘con