Car thief trapped when owner lifts car into air with forklift

A Logan man has stopped a woman that was allegedly trying to steal his car by lifting the vehicle into the air as she locked herself inside.

A Queensland man has stopped an alleged would-be car thief in her tracks by lifting the car into the air with a forklift, trapping the woman inside until police arrived.

Police say the 24-year-old woman broke into a Waterford West home at 5.20pm on Sunday, June 5, where she took a shower and changed into clothes belonging to the residents, before allegedly attempting to steal a Volkswagen Polo parked in the yard.

Her plan was thwarted, though, when homeowner Brendan Mills returned home and took matters into his own hands.

CCTV captured the alleged thief in the yard of the Waterford West home. Supplied

Mr Mills said that when he returned home that afternoon to find the woman in his car he “had to act,” choosing to raise the car into the air with a forklift and trapping the woman inside.

“We saw the car rolling, that means that someone was in the car that shouldn’t be in the car,” he said on Sunrise.

Mr Mills said that he gave the woman a number of opportunities to get out of the car, but she stood her ground and locked the doors.

“I thought, well I’ve got an alternative option here, and I got the keys to the forklift and picked the car up,” he said.

“That’s all I could think of doing to keep me and my family safe at the time.”

Police arrived to find the woman trapped inside the car, suspended by a forklift. Supplied

Police arrived at the property a short time later, finding the woman still trapped inside the suspended Volkswagen, which was then lowered to the ground and the 24-year-old woman arrested.

She was charged with burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle and will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on July 13.

Police have cautioned members of the public against disrupting criminal activity.