Chelsea Trembath and her housemate Anthony Walters came home on Monday evening to find their flat, one of six in a development behind a house on Albert Street, Sebastopol, had been broken into.
Ms Trembath had been in her home for 15 months, however Mr Walters had just moved in over the weekend earlier.
Stolen was a Honda CBR600 motorcycle and custom helmet, a 55” LG colour TV and an extensive array of computing gear, including an iMac, iPads, as well as household goods and clothing.
Ms Trembath said she was at work when the break-in took place about 2pm.
“We live in a subdivision at the back of a house on Albert Street. There are six units here; some students, a young family, two elderly ladies and a policeman.
“(The offenders) climbed over or came through the side gate and broke in through the bathroom window, then kicked the connecting door in to the garage and left through the garage door.
“They got the (motorcycle) key from inside the house.
“There was a burglary down the back earlier in the year.”
Mr Walters had recently moved into the flat to share with Ms Trembath while he looked for accommodation, leading him to think someone may have tipped off the criminals as they saw what he owned being brought into the house.
It was not only vehicles and electrical goods stolen, with Mr Walters distressed to find the thieves had taken his identification documents.
“They’ve even taken my passport,” Mr Walters said.
“I can’t get a new one issued without having the number of the old one, which was on my iPad that was also stolen.”
Senior Constable Daniel Milne, of the Ballarat Criminal Investigation Unit, said that the stolen goods were recovered on Thursday morning at a residence known to police.
He said it was reasonable to assume the theft was not an opportunistic crime.
Given that the stolen motorcycle was in the process of being repainted, it was likely the burglary was also related to an automobile rebadging or rebirthing ring, Senior Constable Milne.
No offender had been charged at the time of publication.
Anyone with information about this or other offences is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
