Season’s thievings hit home in south

By Sarah Schwager
BAD Santas are spoiling Christmas for people residing in Casey’s southern suburbs.
Cranbourne Police said it appeared robbers were stocking presents beneath their own Christmas trees with goods stolen in a spate of burglaries in the south.
Over the past week valuables including cameras, DVD players, plasma televisions and jewellery have been stolen from homes in Devon Meadows, Pearcedale and Cranbourne South.
Detective Senior Constable Mark Wiederhold from Cranbourne CIU said the area always seemed to be hit the hardest in the month leading up to Christmas.
“Someone is targeting the southern areas,” he said.
“People living in those areas need to secure their external windows when they go out and report any suspicious behaviour to the CIU, no matter of how limited value they believe the information.”
Last Thursday someone jemmied open a side sliding door at a house in Sweet Wattle Drive, Cranbourne South. They then opened cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and study before stealing a Panasonic video camera and digital camera valued at $1500 some time in the afternoon.
On Friday afternoon a house in Gracemere Drive, Pearcedale, was broken into when someone forced open a window.
They stole a Philips plasma TV, DVD player, new snakeskin shoes and assorted DVDs estimated to have a total value of $10,000.
Also that day, jewellery valued at $7000 was taken from a house on East Road, Pearcedale, after someone entered through a sliding window.
Police believed the two Pearcedale burglaries were linked.
In another incident on the weekend, someone cut the hinges to a gate, causing $500 damage at a property in Craig Road, Devon Meadows, late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Anyone with information on the above incidents can contact Det Sen Const Wiederhold or Det Sen Const Peter Carroll at Cranbourne CIU on 5991 0661.