New Zealand - Yanfei Bao, 44, Real Estate Agent - Christchurch, South Island 19 July 2023

[Teche]

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Meanwhile, police continue to investigate a house linked to Bao’s disappearance in suburban Christchurch.

In a development overnight, police confirmed they had seized a vehicle of interest in relation to the investigation, and had searched two properties, one in Bryndwr and one in Wigram.

Several people were assisting officers, police said.

The large bungalow at Iriquois Place in Wigram is down a driveway. It has a garden shed out front.

A resident earlier told Stuff they had seen Bao’s car parked in the street on Tuesday afternoon, a day before Bao disappeared. He said he saw the same car on Wednesday morning parked in a similar place.

He believed he had seen a grey coat rolled up in the passenger seat.

KAI SCHWOERER/STUFF
The site of an investigation into Yanfei Bao’s disappearance.
On Sunday morning, a resident, who didn’t want to be named, said he had only seen the people in the house Iriquois Place house police were looking at a few times.

He said they said hello in a foreign language, and he thought the house was a flat people ran some businesses out of.

YB’s car was parked on this street the day before she was missing. I'm confused.

 

[hazel324]

YB’s car was parked on this street the day before she was missing. I'm confused.

Presumably she went there day before (business)

Returned Wednesday - disappeared

My interpretation of media reports in previous links

 

[vls12345]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Someone has now said her car was parked in this street the day before she went missing.
There is a picture in article of the driveway of the house police are interested in, if you go to google maps you can pick out the house.

An arrest at the airport, someone has been charged with kidnapping, but she is still missing.

Missing real estate agent: Police charge man with kidnapping

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

The photo in the NZ Herald article shows the house number at the driveway: 12. That's Iroquois Place, Wigram based on the news reports.

From the article. House number is shown on the left side on top of the fence post.


On google maps, it looks like the house is tucked back behind the others on the street & on surrounding streets.

12 Iroquois Place · 12 Iroquois Place, Wigram, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand

Building

goo.gl

Fyi, photo is from this article:

Missing real estate agent: Police charge man with kidnapping

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Company registered at that address per the NZ Companies Register:

View All Details

app.companiesoffice.govt.nz

 

[hazel324]

The photo in the NZ Herald article shows the house number at the driveway: 12. That's Iroquois Place, Wigram based on the news reports.

From the article. House number is shown on the left side on top of the fence post.
View attachment 436548

On google maps, it looks like the house is tucked back behind the others on the street & on surrounding streets.

12 Iroquois Place · 12 Iroquois Place, Wigram, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand

Building

goo.gl

Fyi, photo is from this article:

Missing real estate agent: Police charge man with kidnapping

Yanfei Bao was last seen on Wednesday morning.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Company registered at that address per the NZ Companies Register:

View All Details

app.companiesoffice.govt.nz

that's some fab sleuthing vls

I suspect person before Court tomorrow will get name suppression (common here) and maybe we won't be surprised when it's lifted moo

 

[vls12345]

that's some fab sleuthing vls

I suspect person before Court tomorrow will get name suppression (common here) and maybe we won't be surprised when it's lifted moo

Since the company registered to that address is listed as a "cleaning" company, I wonder if they have cleaned evidence away as much as possible? MOO.

I'm afraid it doesn't sound good for Ms. Bao if a person related to that address was arrested at the airport as they tried to leave the country.

My heart goes out to Ms. Bao & her family. They must be heartsick with worry right now.

 

[HinterlandObserver]

Anyone notice the property backs onto a hotel? Possibly easy access to large garbage receptacles, or even other cars over the back fence? Just a thought.

 

[vls12345]

that's some fab sleuthing vls

I suspect person before Court tomorrow will get name suppression (common here) and maybe we won't be surprised when it's lifted moo

Hmmm. In that case, here's a pdf of the company extract from the NZ Companies Register page to refer to later, if needed.

https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/service/services/documents/C1F978B8859235B053CEB73583A9E024/CoyExtract_8152007_23July2023.pdf

 

[hazel324]

No surprise there was nothing new on 6pm News - When arrest was announced...Press asked LE to confirm whether YB is still alive – they weren't prepared to elaborate further than a man has been arrested and charged with kidnapping Ms Bao – they reiterated info that can be provided is limited

It was confirmed member of public helped locate the phone and LE have asked for witnesses as to whereabouts of car of interest on that Wednesday 19 July. Suburbs of interest around Christchurch were shown on map amid requests for anyone seeing that vehicle, at what time ? and if anything suspicious was noted.

I believe this I how phone whereabouts was discovered – someone either witnessed or saw dashcam footage when phone tossed from car.

Car linked back to Iroquois Place and corroborated with possible cellphone data (call or texts between YB and man arrested) and/or pings

Narrowed it down to persons of interest – one of which tried to flee country thereby adding to suspicions of guilt

Now they'll be focusing on where he took her on Wednesday
(edit...sorry forgot where I was for a mo' so add "allegedly" IUPG)

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that she is being held at a location nearby and he decided to fly to Asia days ago – planning to tell colleague to release her when safely away. This is of course very wishful thinking and the alternative is very sadly more likely

 

[hazel324]

Little bit more from Stuff here linking arrested man to "property deal"

Police have arrested a person at an airport and charged them with kidnapping Yanfei Bao, while they call for sightings of a silver Mitsubishi sedan.

It is believed the man arrested was planning to leave the country and was linked to a property deal Bao was negotiating.

The man had been remanded in custody and was due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Monday, police said.

“The investigation is ongoing, and several people are assisting police with inquiries,” Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said in a statement.

As part of those inquiries, police were seeking sightings of a silver Mitsubishi sedan, registration DPH101

“We’re interested in sightings of the vehicle from mid-week up until last night, but with a particular focus on the vehicle’s location on Wednesday 19 July in Wigram, Hornby, Tai Tapu, Halswell, Redcliffs, and New Brighton,” Reeves said.

Police confirmed a car pulled over in the Air Force Museum car park in Wigram on Saturday was the same car they were seeking information about, despite initially denying it was part of the investigation.

A local resident who saw the incident just before 11am told Stuff at least four police cars blocked off half of the car park. She saw them talking to a middle-aged man. Police also checked the boot of the car.

Man charged with kidnapping, but real estate agent still deemed missing

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"The investigation is ongoing, and several people are assisting police with enquiries.

"As part of those enquiries, police are seeking sightings of a vehicle, a silver Mitsubishi sedan, registration DPH101.

"We’re interested in sightings of the vehicle from mid-week up until last night, but with a particular focus on the vehicle’s location on Wednesday, 19 July, in Wigram, Hornby, Tai Tapu, Halswell, Redcliffs, and New Brighton."

The man was arrested at an airport while attempting to flee the country, NZME reports.

Yanfei Bao: Man charged with kidnapping after disappearance

The man was reportedly arrested at an airport while attempting to flee the country.

www.1news.co.nz

 

[hazel324]

Since the company registered to that address is listed as a "cleaning" company, I wonder if they have cleaned evidence away as much as possible? MOO.

I'm afraid it doesn't sound good for Ms. Bao if a person related to that address was arrested at the airport as they tried to leave the country.

My heart goes out to Ms. Bao & her family. They must be heartsick with worry right now.

Something else they could possibly be involved in cleaning - Money!

 

[annpats]

I though everyone in the UK was aware of prime suspect in SL case. Many descriptions of a man matching Tony Cannan's appearance as well as him frequenting same area, same MO with attacking real estate agents, the "Kipper" link to him the list goes on...

Yes, most people are aware of him being the prime suspect, but until he is charged and found guilty, the case is still unsolved.

 

[annpats]

I thought all realtors used social media for solicitation. Going house to house seems rather dangerous for a female.

I think so too, and am surprised her company allowed it. Going in pairs, or as a man/woman team would be safer.

 

[annpats]

I agree that the phone call inquiring about Chinese money to buy a house in New Zealand seems completely out of place in the context of doing door to door introductions as a realtor. That phone call was 45 minutes after she was seen. I wonder whether police have traced other phones that were near her phone when she made the call. I'm curious where her phone was located at the time of the call.

I wonder if the $600,000 transaction was a separate private thing she had got involved with?

Perhaps wanting to help out a fellow Chinese, was she too kind and naïve?

Had it been for a financial transaction for a house being sold through the estate agents she works for, she wouldn't be calling her friend discussing ways for him to transfer money. Estate agents have accountancy departments to deal with that side of it.

 

[hazel324]

I think so too, and am surprised her company allowed it. Going in pairs, or as a man/woman team would be safer.

There are certainly areas that are unsavoury in most cities and avoided but in general New Zealand is considered a very safe place, compared to the rest of the World. Unless you've stayed for any length of time or lived here it's kinda hard to grasp how it is.

Very low population, especially noticeable land : person ratio plus being some distance away from...well, everywhere! and no land borders with other countries makes it more so.

You only have to look at how we came through Covid relatively unscathed (compared with almost everywhere else) to appreciate the benefits of low population. I grew up in UK, coming here in the 90s, first trip around - I was blown away by lack of people on the streets in the evenings in towns.

So people generally feel safe to walk around "good" neighbourhoods - in real estate it's promoted as getting to know your local realtor face to face. It's years since I worked in that sector but at the time it was very very normal...I'd think it would be less so these days but obviously it was quite a normal exercise down in Christchurch

 

[FromGermany1]

Mannny infos:

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

It is believed the man arrested was planning to leave the country and was linked to a property deal Bao was negotiating.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In a statement, police said search warrants were executed at addresses in the suburbs of Bryndwr and Wigram.

The Greater Hornby Residents Association chairperson, Kim Moss, said crime has been increasing in her neighbourhood.

The police can't be everywhere but a lot of home owners and renters and so forth have home security systems with camera footage. A lot of vehicles now have videos and so forth that they can access and provide to police," Moss said.

"Residents are offering to be involved in the search for her and at the moment we're just waiting to see what the police are able to provide to assist in the search, where to go, what cameras to look at."

Residents urged to share any information on missing real estate agent

The Harcourts real estate agent was last seen on Wednesday morning, door-knocking in the suburb of Wigram.

www.1news.co.nz

 

[hazel324]

In a statement, police said search warrants were executed at addresses in the suburbs of Bryndwr and Wigram.

The Greater Hornby Residents Association chairperson, Kim Moss, said crime has been increasing in her neighbourhood.

The police can't be everywhere but a lot of home owners and renters and so forth have home security systems with camera footage. A lot of vehicles now have videos and so forth that they can access and provide to police," Moss said.

"Residents are offering to be involved in the search for her and at the moment we're just waiting to see what the police are able to provide to assist in the search, where to go, what cameras to look at."

Residents urged to share any information on missing real estate agent

The Harcourts real estate agent was last seen on Wednesday morning, door-knocking in the suburb of Wigram.

www.1news.co.nz

Is photo of her daughter allowed on WSs ?

Long time since I read T&Cs but I know they're very strict and especially with family

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Is photo of her daughter allowed on WSs ?

Long time since I read T&Cs but I know they're very strict and especially with family

No. No minors unless deceased or missing, I believe is the standard rule of thumb.

 

[hazel324]

No. No minors unless deceased or missing, I believe is the standard rule of thumb.

I thought the photo in your previous post was her daughter as she looked SO very young but guess I was mistaken and it is actually Yanfei (looking very very young!)