Pimpama City Shopping Centre customer’s car stolen in brazen robbery while goods were being loaded into back

A family is appealing for help to find their car after it was stolen while a child’s birthday present was being loaded into it at a Gold Coast shopping centre.

A family is appealing for help to find their black 2004 Toyota Kluger, registration 509 BN7, which was stolen from Pimpama City Shopping Centre on Saturday August 3.

A family with five children has been left without any way to get them to school after a brazen thief stole their car at a Gold Coast shopping centre.

Coomera woman Danielle said her partner had got out of his vehicle to load a gift purchased for their daughter’s fourth birthday into the back of the family’s 2004 Toyota Kluger at the Pimpama City Centre at about 3pm on Saturday.

As her partner and a shop assistant were putting the product into the back of the Kluger a man hopped into the driver’s seat and sped off – with the rear door of the vehicle still wide open.

“He was reverse parked into there to pick up a toy ride-on car for our daughter’s birthday,” said Danielle, who did not want her surname published.

“He was at the back of the car with the staff member and the staff member was helping him lift it up. As they were standing with the ride-on car, with our boot door up ready to be loaded, they heard a noise that sounded like a door closing. They both turned around they noticed a gentleman in the driver’s seat of our car and before they could react it was driving off.”

A CCTV image showing the alleged thief leaving the Pimpama City Shopping Centre in the family’s car.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE CAR? CALL CRIMESTOPPERS ON 1800 333 000 QUOTING REFERENCE QP2401308804

CCTV footage later revealed that a man had hopped out of a grey Nissan Navara that was loitering in the car park with three men inside.

The man jumped into the front seat of Danielle’s Toyota, before both vehicles sped out of the car park.

Danielle said the theft had left the family in a difficult situation. Her partner was on pre-planned leave until Thursday, to help as she recovered from recent surgery.

However from Thursday, she did not know how she was going to take their five children to their schools – which for her meant three stops, at a preschool, primary school and high school.

“He has a work car, but his work hours have him leave home at 3.30 in the morning and not get back until five. This car is the only car we have to transport our kids and family anywhere,” she said.

“So from this Thursday we have no idea what we are going to do.”

The car seen parked at Kmart in Oxenford at about 3pm on Sunday.

The drama was also a blow to a family already dealing with “shocking” cost of living increases and on Monday had to pay a $700 excess to their insurers.

“We budget for everything,” Danielle said. “It’s shocking, absolutely shocking.

“Never in our wildest dreams would we think this would happen to us.”

Since being stolen the family’s Kluger – registration 509BN7 – has been spotted parked at Kmart Oxenford at 3pm on Sunday. Its roof rack had been removed.

They hope it will again be spotted being driven on the Gold Coast and urge anyone who sees it to contact police in the hope it can be recovered.

In a statement to the Bulletin, police said investigations into the vehicle’s theft were continuing.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE CAR? CALL CRIMESTOPPERS ON 1800 333 000 QUOTING REFERENCE QP2401308804

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Originally published as Pimpama City Shopping Centre customer’s car stolen in brazen robbery while goods were being loaded into back