Woman held up at knifepoint at gym hours after Yeppoon Intersport store break-in

A Yeppoon business was broken into for the fifth time in under a year and a woman on the way to the gym was threatened with a knife in a brazen crime spree. SEE THE CCTV FOOTAGE.

A gym-goer was held up at knifepoint and had her car stolen while a business was broken into for the fifth time in under a year in an early morning crime spree in Yeppoon.

Detective Acting Inspector Luke Peachey of Rockhampton Police spoke to media on Wednesday morning about the incident and described it as “disgusting behaviour”.

He explained the first offence occurred just after 4am when offenders arrived in a stolen white 2008 Nissan X-Trail and forced entry to Intersport on Tanby Road where they “pulled apart racks and racks of clothing”.

Three men captured inside Intersport Yeppoon stealing clothing.

“We feel really bad for those owners, they’ve been hit a number of times, they’ve put every safety measure you can think of in place, however they still seem to go after that premise,” he said.

Photos from Intersport Yeppoon of the break-in damage from April 19.

That same group, of six to 10 people, were believed to be seen driving in stolen vehicles around Yeppoon and evading police on numerous occasions.

Then, at 4.30am Wednesday, a 42-year-old woman was attending her gym on Hill Street when she was approached by a male who produced a knife, threatened her and then stole her car keys and subsequently fled with her car, a grey 2017 Kia Carnival.

The woman was not physically injured.

“Absolutely disgusting behaviour by these people,” Detective Peachey said of the incident.

“She (the woman) was very, very shaken up, we continue to check in with her.

“It was only by the good graces of some people who came to her assistance and hopefully scared them off.

“It could have been a lot more serious, the fact someone used a knife to threaten someone who is just going to the gym, it’s just abhorrent behaviour.”

The woman’s stolen vehicle was used to evade police further and was later sighted travelling in a convoy of other stolen vehicles.

It was travelling on the wrong side of the road for 10kms along Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road.

The stolen vehicle then turned onto Norman Road and onto Richardson Road where it crashed into a premises.

Police were not following the vehicle at the time and the crash was reported to police by members of the public.

Witnesses reported the occupants of the vehicle then got into the white X-Trail, that was seen earlier at Intersport, and fled the scene.

There are four outstanding stolen vehicles from the Yeppoon incidents and these vehicles were also sighted near the Dean Street chemist and Farm Street bottle shop ram raids on Monday night, leading police to believe they may be connected.

“It’s a very convoluted investigation,” Detective Peachey said.

“Our indications are that a number of these people are young people, whether they are juveniles, ages 18, 19 and lower.

“Our thoughts are there are probably some links there, our investigations are still ongoing to confirm that.”

On Tuesday, police executed a search warrant at Gracemere where they recovered a stolen Toyota Prado.

“We don’t believe these people were actually involved with the stealing,” Detective Peachey said.

“People are actually stealing vehicles for other people in return for something else.”

Anyone with information or who recognises the men is asked to contact police.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers, phone [phone] or report online.

Reference numbers: QP2300644463, QP2300642813