Gympie police probe crime spree against businesses following arrest

Police are investigating a series of break-ins in Gympie, including heartless thefts from two businesses severely impacted by the February 2022 floods. Here is what we know:

A 26-year-old Deep Creek man will face Gympie court in August after he was arrested over an attempted break-in at a River Rd business in July.

Gympie police said in a statement they were called to the site at 4.22am on July 5 to reports of a man out the front of the business. The man then moved to the back and tried to open a door, allegedly.

When police arrived, he fled across the road and disappeared into a nearby gully, but was later found and arrested.

Tools used to break into buildings were also found in his possession, police claim.

A 26-year-old East Deep Creek man is scheduled to front Gympie Magistrates Court after he was caught allegedly trying to break into a River Rd business on July 5, 2022.

He was charged with seven offences including possessing an instrument for breaking into a building (at night) while having a prior conviction of crime relating to property, enter a premises and committing an indictable offence, attempted break and enter, receiving stolen goods, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing property suspected of being stolen and possessing a knife in a public place.

It comes as police investigate five break-ins across the region between June 30 and July 4, including the Gympie Tenpin Bowling alley on Potter St on July 2.

Police said two men approached the business between 6.30am and 7am, and loaded four pieces of machinery and a hot water system into the boot of a car.

Gympie Tenpin Bowling and Entertainment on Potter St had machinery and a hot water system stolen while they were under flood repair on July 2.

The business has been under flood repair since February.

Earlier, a second River Rd business was broken into on June 30.

Power to the business was deliberately turned off between 8.15 and 8.27pm, while a man broke into the building and took several items.

Police said he was described as caucasian, wearing a green jacket, jeans and had a receding hairline.

In Gympie’s CBD, a mesh door at the back of a Mary St business was cut to access an alleyway and other neighbouring businesses, while a second business under flood repair was found with a damaged front door and missing bedding items.

Gympie police are appealing for public assistance in relation to a number of break ins across the Gympie region between June 30 and July 4, 2022.

A business on Barter St was broken into on July 1, when two hooded offenders approached the business between 3am and 3.20am.

The duo damaged a cold room door and stole two crates of cold produce.

One offender was wearing a long sleeve black coloured hooded jumper, grey coloured long pants, and black and white shoes; while the second wore a long sleeve grey coloured hooded jumper, dark coloured long pants.

If you have any information for police regarding these matters, call Crimestoppers on 1800333000.

Quote these numbers (in order of mention): QP2201143696, QP2201141472, QP2201142076, QP2201145645, QP2201143714.