A Mount Pleasant teenager will spend the next week in adult custody after allegedly breaking into more than 30 cars and one home in a five hour period.
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Matthew Piscopo, 18, made an application for bail at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after the spree of offending allegedly committed between 1am and 6am on Sunday July 4.
He is facing 37 charges related to the offending allegedly committed with two unknown co-accuseds.
Police allege Piscopo smashed the windows of most of the cars and entered others that were unlocked, rummaged through them and stole items.
The court heard Piscopo and the co-offenders allegedly began in Canadian around 1.20am where he targeted three cars and stole a purse and a wallet.
The trio allegedly travelled to the ESTA carpark in Mount Helen and rifled through six cars, stealing items and driving away in one of the cars.
My submission is to remand this person at 18-years-old in custody should be avoided if possible.
- Adrian Paull, defence lawyer
Piscopo is accused of smashing the windows of a number of cars in the Mercy Place car park in Ballarat East and moving to cars outside nearby properties before travelling to Brown Hill.
The court heard he allegedly stole an electrician's toolbelt, wallets, money, an iPad, work uniforms and power tools.
Police allege Piscopo gained entry to a Brown Hill home via an unlocked garage door, stole keys to a car and attempted to take the car until he was disturbed by the resident and fled.
The trio then allegedly moved on to Ballarat East and Golden Point where they continued smashing car windows and breaking into cars.
Piscopo allegedly used a credit card stolen from one of the cars to make a $895 transaction on PayPal and that is how police tracked him down.
They searched his property and found a large amount of credit cards and identifying information of other people, stolen items, 15 separate sets of house keys and a stolen air rifle.
The court heard police matched GPS locations in Piscopo's phone to the offence locations and times.
The police informant said police opposed bail and she was concerned he would continue to re-offend due to the level and seriousness of the offending.
Piscopo denied the offending.
The police investigation is continuing.
Defence lawyer Adrian Paull said Piscopo should be released on bail because he was young and it was his first time in adult custody.
He said Piscopo could live with his mother and sister and a curfew could alleviate the risk of him being out at night.
"My submission is to remand this person at 18-years-old in custody should be avoided if possible," Mr Paull said.
Magistrate Ron Saines said he would make a decision on bail next week after youth justice could provide a report on a bail support assessment.
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