New Zealand police find body likely to be dumped tot's mom (Roundup)

Sep 19, 2007, 7:11 GMT

Wellington - New Zealand police asked Interpol Thursday to find the father of the 3-year-old girl he abandoned in Australia last week after discovering the body of a woman believed to be his wife in a car in Auckland.

The body was found in the boot of a car belonging to Nai Yin Xue, 54, who flew to Los Angeles on Saturday after leaving his daughter Qian Xun Xue, known as Pumpkin, on her own at a Melbourne rail station.

The pair flew to Australia two days earlier from Auckland, where a search had been launched for Pumpkin's mother, An An Xue, 28, who police said had not left New Zealand although her car was found parked at Auckland International Airport.

Police did not immediately identify the body, found in the boot of Nai's car, which was parked outside their house in suburban Mount Roskill, but news media said there was little doubt it was that of his wife who had reportedly suffered violence at his hands several times.

Detective Simon Scott, who said earlier that police were looking for a ceremonial sword he was known to possess, told a news conference that a post-mortem would be carried out on the body Thursday.

He said police had not been able to check the car earlier before they obtained a formal search warrant.

The child remains in foster care in Melbourne and her maternal grandmother was reported to be leaving China to be with her.