Warwick break-ins, thefts reported as police reveal new trends behind crime spike

Another spate of burglaries has swept Warwick over the weekend, with police now racing to track down the group of offenders believed to be targeting homes and businesses right across the region.

Another string of break-ins and car thefts has been reported across Warwick over the weekend, with police now suspecting the group of offenders is likely tied a bigger crime wave across the region.

Rose City residents are again on high alert as burglars target homes throughout the night, stealing higher-value items from wallets and cash to car keys and often the vehicles themselves.

Warwick Police acting officer-in-charge Sergeant Cameron Slater said the weekend brought another spate of crime, only days after about 10 break-ins and stolen vehicles were reported in just over 48 hours.

He said thieves broke into a Douglas St home just after 12.30am on Sunday, with the house’s occupant waking up to see several unfamiliar cars parked outside his home.

“The victim has gone to inspect it and saw a male exiting his front window,” Sergeant Slater said.

“He then saw the suspect run to a couple of vehicles parked out the front and they drove away.

“They’ve taken a wallet with a small amount of cash in it and a set of car keys to another vehicle, but it doesn’t look at this stage that anything else was stolen.”

It was only about half an hour later that thieves struck at another Warwick home, this time taking a 2016 Volkswagen Amarok from a Wantley St house.

Sergeant Slater said the offenders had stolen the owner’s car keys the previous week and then returned to steal the vehicle, which was still yet to be located as of Monday morning.

He said no charges had been laid in relation to any of the thefts reported over either weekend, with detectives still trying to ascertain whether there was any larger motivation behind the crimes.

“I think there’s a bit of everything in there. It looks like they’re a younger group who obviously don’t have access to vehicles themselves, so they steal them,” Sergeant Slater said.

“There’s a lot of them moving around between towns, so there’s that element to it as well.

“They’re going up to Toowoomba or out to Gundy and then back over to New South Wales, and they’ll then commit offences along the way, like stealing fuel and that sort of thing.”

Police are also still investigating a stash of marijuana and pills found in a Warwick drug bust last week after nabbing a number of alleged drink and drug drivers over the weekend.

A 20-year-old Warwick man and 31-year-old Warwick woman are both set to face court in the coming weeks after they allegedly tested positive to drugs in their system while driving on Percy St and Dragon St respectively.

Police will also allege a 51-year-old man recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.072 when he was breath-tested on Glengallan Rd on Sunday morning.

He is due to appear in Warwick Magistrates Court on April 20.