A quick visit to the Massey library turned horribly wrong for Vanessa Blackie when she returned to her car to find its two back wheels gone.
The 36-year-old solo mum couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted the car sitting on a jack.
"I just looked at it and thought: Why would anyone do that?" the mother of two says.
"We were picking up books at the library.
"The wheels were fairly new. They took the metal rims and everything."
The thief struck some-time between 9.30am and 10am on Wednesday while Vanessa's car was parked outside the building, which is shared by the YMCA leisure centre.
Vanessa had to borrow two space saver wheels from a tyre dealer to drive to Work and Income and get the money she needed to pay for new ones.
"It took up my whole day," she says.
Vanessa, who works as a note taker for disabled students at Massey University, says it was an extra expense that she did not need.
The car was insured but she had to pay a $320 excess to replace the wheels.
She is relieved the offender didn't take the front ones as well.
"The guy at the tyre shop said he didn't know why the thief only took two," she says.
"My children are seven and 13 and both have their birthdays coming up," the Royal Heights resident says.
"It's sad that their birthday money goes towards covering the loss."
Vanessa's light blue Mitsubishi Galant has an alarm and a club lock on the steering wheel but neither deterred the culprit.
Fortunately help was close at hand.
"The lady at the YMCA was really helpful with bringing us cups of tea and with calling the police," she says.
"Work and Income was sympathetic too."
Vanessa, who is studying business at Massey, has a piece of evidence she hopes might help apprehend the thief.
"I have their jack and I'm going to give it to the police," she says.
Vanessa hopes someone saw the thief and is asking witnesses to come forward.
"I'm still quite shocked by it all. I felt like my life was turned upside down."
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