Members of a Whanganui East whānau are shocked a man has been entering their home in the night to sleep.
Charlie and Taysha Puohotaua-Williams woke early on Sunday morning to find the man, believed to be a patient at a local Whanganui centre for marginalised people, asleep in their living room.
Charlie Puohotaua-Williams says he woke up around 6.45am when he heard a noise.
"I didn't think much of it. Then I heard a cough. It was weird. Taysha and I looked at each other: Did we just hear a cough? So I went to look and yes, boom, someone was on my couch, crashed out."
Taysha Puohotaua-Williams said she stayed in the bedroom with their children.
"I didn't know what kind of things had been happening in the lounge. I just hugged my kids and told them to stay by me."
The 54-year-old man was arrested and charged with being unlawfully in a building and theft. He was due to appear in the Whanganui District Court today.
Taysha Puohotaua-Williams said she was horrified to learn the man took a shower and helped himself to towels while the family was away.
"The guy was coming here as if he lived here."
Her husband said the man also claimed two other people had had showers and slept over the previous night.
Puohotaua-Williams now feared for his children's safety and wanted the Whanganui District Council to do more about the growing number of people with mental illness roaming the city's streets at night.
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