Police on hunt for Rosewood Bakery thieves after business targeted

A not-so-bright Lockyer Valley criminal has left their DNA behind at the scene of a crime after breaking into and trashing a small local business at the weekend.

Rosewood bakery break-in. 19/12/23. Picture: Social media and file

A Rosewood business owner’s bakery was broken into and trashed a week before Christmas, with police on the hunt for the culprits.

Police attended the Rosewood Bakery, on the outskirts of the Ipswich region near the Lockyer Valley, on Sunday morning, December 17.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said initial investigations suggested one or more people broke into the business through a side glass door, after using a crowbar to smash their way in.

Rosewood bakery break-in. 19/12/23. Picture: Social media and file

She said a cash register was stolen and milk was deliberately strewn across the bakery.

However, the spokeswoman noted officers found forensic evidence at the scene, with blood samples taken for DNA testing.

“Not charges or arrests have been made,” she said.

“Investigations are continuing.”

The small country township’s population is rapidly growing as it is situated in a major corridor, with developers set to build thousands of homes between Rosewood and Ipswich.

According to Queensland Police Service crime statistics, property offences in the Rosewood policing division peaked at an all-time high in 2023, with 58 alleged offences occurring in March.

Rancid milk and shards of glass following the brazen and destructive break in.

From January to November 2023, 243 reports of alleged property offences were logged by officers, up from 204 the previous year, 185 offences in 2021, 215 in 2020, 201 and in 2019.

QPS statistics also show there was a sharp rise in drug offences reported within the rapidly growing QPS district during 2023, which also peaked in March with 36 incidents occurring within a 31 day period.

An increase in the number of crimes reported is often as a result of targeted police operations.

Originally published as Police on hunt for Rosewood Bakery thieves after business targeted