Silk Hair Skin Body, Reject Shop, Rosebud Post Office hit in crime spree
They might have the best hairstyles on the Mornington Peninsula, but their selfishness knows no bounds, pinching a bushfire relief collection tin during a raid on a Mt Martha hairdresser.
South East
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A bushfire-relief collection tin, thousands of dollars worth of hair extensions and straighteners and a new computer have been stolen from a salon by “well-organised” crooks on a Mornington Peninsula crime spree.
Mt Martha business Silk Hair Skin Body was one of three hit in the early hours of Saturday February 22, including the Rosebud Post Office and The Reject Shop at Dromana and police said it was likely the crimes were linked.
Silk Hair Skin Body owner Leanne Barnes said it was the second time in two years her business had been broken into.
“We were hit on the same weekend two years ago and they stole similar things,” Ms Barnes said.
“They were well-organised. I think it’s the same people. They even moved in the same way as the offenders we caught on CCTV the last time around.”
She said CCTV footage showed the pair “going straight for the GHDs (straighteners) and Showpony hair extensions” after using a sledgehammer to smash the front door.
“We had a man and a woman in here on Friday that I think were casing the place,” Ms Barnes said.
“The woman asked a lot of questions about the Show Pony extensions and the man had a hair cut.”
The Bay Rd business was robbed about 2am the following morning.
Ms Barnes said eight GHDs including six Platinum, one Oracle and one Eleven were stolen along with all the salon’s hair extensions which were valued at up to $300 each.
“They also took our fundraising tin for the bushfire victims which was almost full.
“I think that’s the worst part. People had been so generous; I’d seen $50, $20 and $10 notes put in there.”
The business started the collection on January 20 and planned to match it dollar for dollar.
The total was to be donated to the Bendigo Bank Official Bushfire Relief Appeal partnering with the Salvation Army.
Somerville crime investigation unit detective Sergeant Jason Hocking said the series of robberies on February 22 appeared to be linked.
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“We don’t get a lot of commercial burglaries on the Mornington Peninsula,” Sgt Hosking said.
“When it does happen it’s usually people from out of town who hit the region and then disappear for a while.”
He said police had confirmed the Mt Martha and Rosebud burglaries involved the same offenders and it was likely that the pair had also broken into The Reject Shop.
“It’s hard to give a useful description; it appears to be a male and female and both are wearing dark-coloured hoodies,” he said.
Sgt Hosking said it was possible a small white car, that was later found burnt out at Seaford, had been used in the burglaries.
“The vehicle that was dumped near parkland off Austin Rd, Seaford, looked very similar to one picked up by CCTV near the hair salon around the time of the burglary,” he said.