Thefts baffle police

By Sarah Schwager
THEFTS from cars are continuing to rise in Casey, with local police baffled at some of the items being targeted.
Car parts that Cranbourne police have described as virtually ‘unsaleable’ are being stolen from cars at all hours of the day and night.
Some of the items targeted include car stereos, engine leads and external items such as wheels and lights.
Detective Acting Sergeant Terry Rowlands from Cranbourne Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) said car stereos were almost impossible to sell without being traced, with identification needed at second hand shops.
“There has been a real spike during the school holidays,” Det Sgt Rowlands said.
“That explains these recent thefts – I mean, why pinch a car stereo when you can’t sell it?”
Last week, the News reported the desperate attempts thieves were going to to pinch items from cars, with cars in Doveton, Narre Warren, Berwick, Endeavour Hills, Cranbourne and Hampton Park either stolen or broken into.
The Narre Warren Tasking Unit was deployed to investigate the growing trend.
Last week in Cranbourne alone, at least six thefts from cars were reported, one theft of a car, and one person was arrested for theft of car.
Det Sgt Rowlands said the thefts were getting out of control.
He urged people to be vigilant and not leave anything valuable in their cars.
He also urged people to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, with most of the thefts occurring outside homes and during the day in shopping centre or railway station carparks.
On Sunday, a car stereo worth $200 was stolen from a 1986 Holden sedan parked outside a residential property in Cranbourne in the early afternoon while earlier that day a stereo and sunglasses were taken from a 1986 VL Holden Commodore station wagon parked at Centro Cranbourne Shopping Centre.
A 1997 white Hyundai was stolen from Merinda Park Railway Station on Friday while on Tuesday, 10 July a car stereo was stolen from a 1990 black Hyundai sedan.
A car stereo worth $1000 was stolen from a 2000 Holden sedan outside a Cranbourne home on Friday night while on the previous night a computer was stolen from the back seat of a car in Cranbourne North.
The most bizarre theft reported last week happened overnight last Thursday from a car parked outside a house on Gordon Street, Cranbourne.
Police said the thief broke into the 2000-model Mitsubishi, opened the bonnet and stole leads from the engine bay.
Meanwhile, police last week charged a 31-year-old man with theft of a car.
The man was alleged to have stolen a car from Centro Cranbourne Shopping Centre on 9 July and was apprehended the same day.
He was bailed to appear before the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in August.
Anyone with information on thefts from or of cars is urged to contact the Cranbourne Police on 5991 0600 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.