Caleb Kovaleski surrendered to police this afternoon and has been arrested and taken into custody. The 25-year old father of five was on the run from police for two days after presenting what police believed was a firearm at a police stop in Palmerston North yesterday. An extensive manhunt was underway with his father Jim Antcliff pleading for his son to give himself up.
After two days, the situation with Caleb Kovaleski has been resolved.
Jim Antcliff told Te Kāea, “I said to him you know son I don't want to bury you, you're going to come out with your hands up and he said yup, he wants to come out with his hands up and he doesn't want any trouble and again he's sorry and he apologised to everyone for this inconvenience.”
Antcliff became his guardian through whangai when he was just 15 years old. He says he had a hard upbringing but is a good boy at heart.
“He was just having a bad day he and his partner had a falling out the last couple of days and obviously that's pushed him over the edge.”
Yesterday police stopped him.
Manawatu Area Commander Inspector Sarah Stewart says, “He has some, a number of warrants to arrest for a range of offences and also yesterday when police attempted to stop him he failed to stop and we believe he was in possession of a firearm at that time.”
Antcliff says, “I hadn't heard from him for about a week and a half until yesterday morning. His sister Sonya said Caleb needs his Dad again. I rang him he said sorry Dad I'm already in the middle of a helicopter chase and he was in a bad state of mind yesterday and his thoughts weren't very good at all.”
His charges ranged from driving to dishonesty offences. Police announced that some cordons have been lifted and residents could return home.
Inspector Stewart says, “We’re overwhelmed by the support of the community, even though this is an incredibly difficult time, they have been so confident in our ability and supportive of us in getting a successful and safe resolution.”
Kovaleski has Polish and Māori ancestry and has five children of his own aged from five months to eight years old.