Townsville stolen car crime spikes as West End resident Mandy Blake becomes latest victim

Waking to find her house broken into and car stolen was just the beginning of one West End resident’s day from hell, who was taunted by her thieves for a second time less than 24 hours later. WATCH THE HOONING VIDEOS >>>

WAKING to find her house broken into and car stolen was just the beginning of one West End resident’s day from hell, who was taunted by her thieves for a second time less than 24 hours later.

Mandy Blake is the latest victim of car theft in Townsville, adding to the long list of innocent residents who have become a statistic in the region’s crime reality.

Four cars were stolen from across Townsville on Tuesday night, including Ms Blake’s Mitsubishi Lancer, and six more were stolen on Wednesday night.

Shocking videos have emerged from inside one of these stolen vehicles, a bronze Ford Ranger, showing a group of juveniles hooning around the city, doing burnouts on dirt roads and flaunting their crimes in front of Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.

In one of the videos, a passenger lets off a fire extinguisher out the window, and even throws something at another innocent motorist.

Ms Blake’s stolen Mitsubishi can be seen driving in front of one of the Ranger, and photos have also emerged of masked youths posing in the front seat of her vehicle.

The West End resident said she felt violated, but was even more shocked when a group she suspected was the same youths rocked up at the front of her house less than 24 hours later and taunted her.

A group of juveniles took a photo of themselves inside Ms Blake’s car and posted it to social media.

Ms Blake was sifting through her recovered car looking for her belongings when a car full of children pulled up in a grey Volkswagen Amarok, suspected to have been stolen on Wednesday night.

“They deliberately did a burn out in front of the unit,” she said.

“It’s like they do not care.”

Ms Blake suspected they came back to her home for tools and clothing they left behind in her car, which was found at Idalia about 2.30am Thursday morning with a cracked windscreen and damaged front end.

She was asleep with a migraine the night the thieves broke in, saying she had no idea her car was gone until her sister woke her in a panic the next morning.

A driver wears gloves as they hoon around in a stolen Ford Ranger.

Screenshots from a video taken by suspected car thieves shows them drive past Cleveland Youth Detention Centre and yell out.

A video taken from the inside of a stolen Ford Ranger by a group of car thieves, with Ms Blake's car being driven in front.

They’d sifted through her handbag to find her keys, but either ignored or didn’t see her sister’s car keys placed on the kitchen table in plain sight.

Ms Blake usually takes her handbag into her room, but this night she didn’t.

“I didn’t really know how to take it … it’s just a material thing, but you work really hard to pay for these things. It’s my livelihood,” she said.

“They just don’t seem to care and they have no fear … it’s like they’re rubbing it in your face.”

Mandy Blake is lucky to have her Mitsubishi Lancer back after it was stolen for joy rides. Outside they're unit block, a stolen and dumped Mazda has been sitting on the footpath for over a week. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Police found the car dumped and damaged, and called Ms Blake, who put on gloves and carefully drove her car back home to wait for forensic investigators.

Townsville Police are investigating the incident, after it was believed that Ms Blake’s car was used in the theft of another vehicle.

No charges have been laid yet.

Originally published as Townsville stolen car crime spikes as West End resident Mandy Blake becomes latest victim