Vandals smash 25 new homes in Longwarry housing estate crime spree
Hoodlums have gone on a $400,000 wrecking spree at a new Longwarry estate, smashing up 25 homes and forcing devastated families to cancel plans to move in for Christmas. See the devastation.
South East
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Brand new homes have been trashed in a three-day rampage at a development in Longwarry leaving devastated buyers without new homes for Christmas.
And building company Construct Homes, which has copped a damage bill of $400,000, has put up a reward to help catch the culprits.
Marble benchtops, toilets, sinks and other fittings were smashed and holes drilled in the walls in 25 units at the 27-property development on Princes Ave, Longwarry, 83km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD.
The company’s managing director Peter Aquino said the houses had been continually targeted in the past four months.
“We’re offering a $5000 reward for information as this has affected so many people,” Mr Aquino said.
“It’s going to add at least three months to the build project and that could affect people’s finance borrowing too.
“This is so disheartening and completely opportunistic. We really hope the people responsible are caught soon.”
Mr Aquino said they removed cameras form the site four months ago because of the cost but “as soon as we did the vandalism began straight away“.
“It’s just so senseless – the damage bill is at $400,000 and there’s now people who were meant to move in by Christmas but that won’t happen.”
“We also have to pay extra wages to fix up the damage.”
He said the extent of the damage had left builders shocked.
“They’ve smashed all the power points, light switches, drilled holes through all the doors, smashed toilets and basins – it’s just terrible.”
Mr Aquino said he reported the vandalism to Drouin police and was offering a reward to anyone with information.
A Victoria Police spokesman said detectives from the Baw Baw Criminal Investigation Unit were investigating a series of burglaries and property damage offences that have occurred in Longwarry.
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“Several properties on Princes Ave were targeted by an unknown offender between November 8 and 11. Investigations remain ongoing.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.