A relative of Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips believes missing children Jayda, Maverick and Ember are safe.
Police on Saturday urged the public to keep an eye out for the father of three who's been sighted four times this week in Waikato.
A ute he stole was found dumped yesterday at Te Anga, on the main road in to Marokopa.
"He'll keep hiding as long as he can I suppose, that's the thing as long as the children are okay," said Phillips' Marokopa-based second cousin Trevor Neal.
He told Newshub he honestly believes Jayda, 10, Maverick, eight, and Ember, seven, are safe.
"I think they are, otherwise someone would have heard something by now."
There was no sign of the 36-year-old, or his children when a ute Phillips stole on Wednesday from Honikiwi Rd, was found dumped on Friday behind a gravel mound in a bushy hideaway near Marokopa.
When Newshub visited the scene where it was wedged our camera found it just metres from an abandoned moss-covered tent.
Locals say the tent was used historically by an elderly homeless woman who has since moved on.
A Police source told Newshub there's no suggestion Philips was using the tent.
Neal, when asked if he thinks Tom Phillips is still in the area, replied: "Could be - I honestly don't know."
Phillips is a wanted man. He's breaching a family court order by being on the run with the children for 19 months.
And he's wanted on a charge of wasting police resources after the initial disappearance with them in Sept 2021.
Neal said as far as he knows, Tom's family doesn't know where he is.
Police are urging whoever is helping Phillips to come forward.
"I'm not going to elaborate on who we believe could be assisting Tom, but what I can say is we are regularly talking to people at the moment and we have done so for some time," said Inspector Will Loughrin.
Police won't comment on the fact most of the water, petrol and wire on the back of the ute seen Wednesday in CCTV pictures at Te Rapa Bunnings, was noticeably absent when it was found hidden on Friday by a local who noticed tyre tracks off Marokopa Rd.
Inspector Loughrin said south Waikato locals can expect to see an increased police presence in the region over the coming days.
