Sneaky thieves use car service log book to find victim’s home address

Cheeky thieves have used an outrageous tactic to steal thousands of dollars of goods from a Gold Coast home in broad daylight and police warn others could be next.

POLICE and a couple who had their home burgled in broad daylight are warning about opportunistic thieves breaking into cars to get access to properties to ransack them.

Ormeau couple Scott and Jo Ellis had their property ransacked on September 11 after Mrs Ellis’ car was broken into and had the garage remote stolen earlier that day.

Thieves hit their Gold Coast home in broad daylight, stealing thousands in cash, jewellery and passports.

She had parked the car at work in Loganholme in the morning not realising until after she finished after 4pm that culprits had broken into her car. Her immediate concern was when she realised her Ormeau home garage remote had been taken from the car.

She immediately phoned her husband Scott - fearing the thieves had their home address from the car service log book - to go and check their Pepperina Court property.

Mr Ellis, 38, said: “I got the call from Jo and I was on my way to pick up our kids from daycare but decided to go home first to check to see if we had been robbed.

“It was around 15 minutes after we got home when I went into our master bedroom and found that all the top drawers of our dressers and bedside tables had been rifled through and that was when I noticed that around $2000 in cash, our passports, birth certificates, spare car keys and jewellery was missing,” he said.

“They also took a few other things such as running shoes, phone chargers, a spare mobile phone,” he said.

“I was pretty angry when I realised.”

The culprits had driven from Logan to the Ormeau home, helping themselves to cash, jewellery and even passports in the couple’s home about lunchtime.

The couple were left devastated.

Thieves first targeted the woman’s car, using personal belongings to get her home address.

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Mr Ellis was able to obtain CCTV footage from a neighbour which he handed to police.

Police have since located the couple’s passports in a car found crashed at the Port of Brisbane.

It has prompted Senior Constable Tracey Clouston from Gold Coast District Crime Prevention Unit to warn people to keep valuables out of sight in vehicles and addresses elsewhere.

“Even empty handbags, coins in a visible console, laptop bags without a laptop in it, mail with your address,” she said.

The couple claim about $2000 of cash, along with jewellery and passports were stolen from their home.

“Thieves don’t know the difference, they will take the opportunity to break in anyway and you have the inconvenience of repairing a smashed window or much worse,” she said.

“A person with a $1000-a-day-drug habit will break into your car for some coins to feed their addiction.

“It’s common sense, don’t give someone a reason to break into your car. In some cases, they will steal your car and then go on and rob you and load up your own car with all your stuff,” Senior Constable Clouston said.

“It’s about taking responsibility and taking away those opportunities.”

Police have confirmed they are still investigating the burglary. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.