Home break-ins: Reuben Prado robbed in Lower Templestowe

Two girls were alone in their Lower Templestowe home when they came face-to-face with an intruder. It comes as police warn the number of burglaries skyrocket in summer — here are their tips to prevent you becoming a victim.

The number of residential burglaries spikes in December and January.

The number of homes being burgled typically skyrockets over summer, and the spike has already begun, a Manningham detective is warning.

Manningham detective Senior Sergeant Rohan Courtis advised people take extra precautions to secure their properties after six Lower Templestowe homes — some occupied — were broken into in seven days.

Two sisters, aged 12 and 15, were home alone when they came face-to-face with an intruder in the bathroom of their Lower Templestowe house about 2pm on Friday, December 13.

The man broke into a Lower Templestowe home when two girls were home alone.

The incident has left them “very frightened and shaken” and struggling to sleep properly, their father Reuben Prado said.

Mr Prado said one of his daughters heard the man call out when he was at the door but she didn’t answer.

He then broke in through a window on the balcony on the second-storey and began searching the house while the girls hid in the ensuite, phoning their parents and 000.

The man was scared off when he stumbled upon the ensuite and discovered the girls, but still managed to get away with cash and Mr Prado’s wife’s jewellery box.

“If no one was home the place would have been turned upside down,” he said.

Mr Prado said he never thought a burglary would happen where he lived.

Sen-Sgt Courtis said the summer holidays attracted more burglaries, with many houses left vacant as people took the opportunity to get away.

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Residential burglaries soared last summer, with 26 recorded in Manningham in December 2018, and 41 in January — a 58 per cent increase.

Anyone going away should make it appear that someone is home — ask someone to take the bins in and to collect the mail and newspapers, or have the mail redirected.

Sen-Sgt Courtis also suggested people tell their neighbours to keep a watch over the property, and to use devices such as timer lights to make the place look inhabited.

He also recommends having CCTV to help both deter offenders and catch them if they do come by.

Anyone who spots someone behaving suspiciously in a street should phone 000.