Man on the run with teen a 'loner'

A Waikato man on the run with a 14-year-old Mount Maunganui girl had been acting "strange" just days before the pair disappeared together, Waingaro residents say.

Mt Maunganui College student Julie Davis disappeared a week ago. Police think she is with Craig Howard, a former Waingaro Hot Springs employee.

Miss Davis was last seen in Papamoa, about 3.45pm on Friday, July 3. She was wearing her school uniform of a red top and grey skirt, and was following a man.

It's understood she met Mr Howard, 41, when her family went to the hot springs in March.

One Waingaro resident, who did not want to be named, said Howard had been acting "strange" for a couple of weeks. He was parked up, in his Subaru station wagon, in the carpark of the Waingaro Hotel with a young girl, now thought to be Miss Davis. The pair stayed in the car during a bitterly cold night. They were gone in the morning.

Hot Springs owners Chood and Amro Singh said Mr Howard started work at their holiday park about eight years ago as a groundsman and handyman. He no longer worked for them but lived "on and off" at the park.

Mr Singh described Mr Howard as a "nice enough guy".

Mr Howard was the father of about seven children, some the same age as Miss Davis, and was believed to have been from Huntly, Mrs Singh said.

The couple were reluctant to comment on Mr Howard's predicament. "We're not his employers, we cannot give him advice."

Other Waingaro residents said Mr Howard was a bit of a loner. Police say Mr Howard is a 41-year-old Maori, 175cm tall, of medium build with a slight lisp. He drives a grey 1989 Subaru Legacy station wagon, registration UE4661.

Police say the teenager's family are concerned for her safety and have urged her or Mr Howard to contact police.

"We are all very concerned," Tauranga police Senior Sargent Glen Saunders told the Waikato Times. "We are looking into all possibilities and want to hear from anyone who knows of her whereabouts or has any information about the vehicle."