Bayside shoppers on alert after bottle-o raided twice, on anniversary of tobacconist arson

Shoppers, business owners and locals are on high alert after a bayside bottle-o in a complex targeted by arsonists last year was raided twice in the same day. Watch the video

Police were called to a fire at a tobacconist at the Crystal Waters shopping complex in May 2023. Picture: Contributed

A suburban shopping centre is on high alert after two brazen raids on its bottle shop in one day, almost a year to the day after an arson attack gutted the centre’s tobacco store.

Police were on Tuesday poring through CCTV footage from Thornlands’ Crystal Waters Shopping Centre, the focal point of a “youth crime frenzy” over the past two years.

Police said they were called to the centre’s bottleshop twice on Sunday after alcohol was allegedly stolen by teens.

Witnesses called about 1pm to report a gang of teenage-looking males, after one entered the BWS store, went to the cool room and stacked a shopping trolley with booze before legging it out of the complex.

Police were called after two raids at the BWS at Crystal Waters on the weekend. It was a year after a fire gutted the neighbouring tobacco shop. Pictures: Contributed

Police said the shop attendant was threatened but not injured.

Less than six hours later, the BWS was raided a second time, with reports to police logged just after 7pm.

Witnesses parked in the centre’s carpark said they watched in disbelief as four teenage girls, dressed in hoodies, “ran back and forth” into the BWS store carrying out loads of alcohol before putting the bottles into a shopping trolley outside the shop.

The witnesses then said they saw two teenage-looking boys dressed in black start yelling and swearing at the girls.

“As far as we could tell, the boys/men seemed to be calling out these girls for robbing the BWS store,” the witness said.

“My daughter saw one of the boys grab the main girl and push her against the BWS store glass window and start punching her.

“The poor BWS worker could do nothing but was on the phone. A third boy/man ran in front of us, we assume to help his friends.

“It was all very confronting and we are not sure what the outcome was … but we are gobsmacked this is happening so close to home.”

A police map showing the incidences of crimes reported in the Thornlands area in the past six months and the arrow pointing to the shopping complex and nearby skate park.

Police statistics for the area show that in the past six months, there had been 20 drug-related offences recorded in the neighbourhood; three thefts; two unlawful entries; two assaults; one case of handling stolen goods and one car stolen.

Sunday’s crimes came less than a month after 700 residents of the area, which also includes a neighbouring shopping complex at Victoria Point, called for a permanent police van to patrol local centres.

Victoria Point resident and LNP candidate for the area Rebecca Young, who has held community meetings to crack down on crime in the suburb, said residents were fed up with trying to keep a lid on crime around the shopping centres and local skate park, where school students had detonated homemade bombs last year.

Ms Young, also a victim of an attempted home invasion last month, said a greater police presence was needed in the area at night, when youths were recorded detonating homemade bombs in William Stewart Skate Park, which backs on to the Crystal Waters IGA Centre.

“We held a barbecue and a sausage sizzle at the skate park last month and spoke to some of the youths in the park and we believed that we were making headway – but then this happens,” Ms Young said.

“A Facebook page was even set up so people could talk about their crime in the area because it has been so bad.

“It is a very tough time for all in the community – especially those who are trying to make a difference and curb youth crime in the area.”

A 16-year-old boy is helping police with the investigation into the raids but nobody had been charged by Tuesday afternoon.