LNP candidate’s home targeted by masked trio in car theft attempt

A bayside LNP candidate who campaigned on tougher youth sentencing has shared her terror after masked youths tried to break in to her home and steal a car. WATCH THE VIDEO

A baysider who campaigned on juvenile crime for the LNP has told how she feared for her life after a gang of masked youths cased her house during an early morning attempted break-in this week.

CCTV footage showed the trio in the front courtyard of LNP candidate for the state seat of Redlands, Rebecca Young.

The youths, dressed in track gear, hoodies, gloves and balaclavas, stopped to touch a Mercedes Benz parked in the driveway.

One of them was carrying an implement, yet to be identified, and signalled to a fourth person waiting on the street.

Alarms were triggered as the trio headed towards the side of the property.

Ms Young’s pyjama-clad husband, Justin, chased the gang into the street but all four managed to escape in a car just before 1.30am.

CCTV footage shows youths casing a Redland Bay home in March. Pictures: Contributed

“My husband took chase, but all I could think of was Emma Lovell and how she died chasing youths from her property,” she said.

“They did run off thankfully, but the last one to run had something in his hand and I want to believe it was a torch – nothing more sinister.

“I keep going back in mind thinking of Emma Lovell who was stabbed to death in her own front yard while giving chase and she died.

“However, I got great comfort from the swift actions of the police on the night because I know how stretched they are.”

The offenders chose the centre home in a block of three townhouses on Moore St, Victoria Point, a cul-de-sac which runs down to the water.

Ms Young, who has campaigned on tougher laws and more police, believed her prized white Mercedes was what attracted the gang to her home.

Ms Young said she was terrified her husband would be attacked by the masked youths.

She said there had been a number of luxury cars, including a $250,000 Jaguar, stolen from her neighbourhood since January.

Three cars stolen from Victoria Point over the past two years were traced to Logan addresses.

She called for greater police presence in and around Victoria Point and its shopping centre after Ipswich grandmother Vyleen White was stabbed to death at the Redbank Plains Shopping Centre.

Ms Young has also called for automatic police updates for victims after a single mum and her 12-year-old child were subjected to a frightening attempted break-in at nearby Redland Bay early on March 24.

Crime statistics from 2015 to 2023 for Redland Police Division

Police said they had investigated reports of suspicious activity in the area.

Police statistics showed 88 per cent of crime in Victoria Point occurred between 10pm and 2am, a time when Ms Young said there were often only four patrol cars.

“We need more police to be rostered on overnight in Victoria Point and a permanent police presence in the suburb,” she said.

“Night is the opportune time for crime in the area, which also includes the bay islands where there are usually only one-and-a-half police officers on duty at any one time.”

Last month, police removed 13 people from Russell Island on bail conditions.

A breakdown of police statistics showed 77 cars were stolen within the Redlands state electorate last year, almost double the number reported stolen in 2015 of 39.

Last year, there were 249 reports of unlawful use of a vehicle offences registered with police for the state electorate with 275 the year before.

Originally published as LNP candidate’s home targeted by masked trio in car theft attempt