Resident wakes to find thief in her home as police investigate spate of aggravated burglaries

There have been widespread reports of aggravated burglaries where keys and cars have been stolen this week from right across the city, including Lake Wendouree and Alfredton.

The Courier spoke with one Alfredton resident, who did not want to be named, who had a frightening experience at the weekend.

At 5am on Saturday morning Emily (not her real name) woke up to a noise in the house.

"I got up and saw the front door was wide open and a person was standing there with a torch."

Initially thinking it was her partner she asked him what he was doing, before the person ran off through the front door.

Her partner then emerged from the bedroom - in an early morning daze, each of them had thought it was the other who had been awake and making the noise for the previous 15 minutes in the hallway.

When they realised it was an intruder, Emily's partner chased the car the intruder had jumped into up the road but they were able to flee. They then called the police.

"The police were there within 30 seconds and told us they had just been around the corner where a car had been stolen," Emily said. "They said the car that took off from us drove straight at them, mounted the gutter and drove around them and then took off."

Afterwards Emily and her partner realised the house and car keys they keep just inside the front door had been stolen.

Emily realised she must have accidentally left her car unlocked with a house key inside and that is how they gained access to the house.

"I suspect they must have been in my car for a while before they came in the front door because my car was trashed and there was stuff everywhere. They'd gone through everything and stole some money from the glovebox."

Police warned them that the offenders might return to steal the cars they now had keys to, so Emily wedged some chunks of concrete under her car wheels.

She said her whole neighbourhood had been comparing stories of their experiences with offenders on Facebook throughout the day and everyone was "quite paranoid and scared".

"We had all been on high alert all day," Emily said.

In what she described as "pretty brazen", she said the offenders returned to her house about 10pm that night.

"I heard my car start and I was right near the front door so I ran out."

Emily said a man was in her car, with the driver's door open, and was "really revving it to try to get it over the chunk of concrete".

"I suspect he would have turned the key and been gone within a second otherwise."

Emily said she ran towards him and yelled at him to get out of her car, thinking it would be a teenager but it was a "big guy".

"He then ran at me and said 'what are you going to do about it?'," Emily recalled.

Realising the danger she had put herself in, Emily pointed at her open front door and told him there were people in the house who would take care of him.

"I was really scared and screaming for [my partner]. [My partner] then came flying out the door and [the offender] ran from my car and jumped in a ute which was waiting for him."

Her partner once again chased the offenders' car up the road, yelling out for help from neighbours, before the offenders slammed on the brakes.

"One got out and came at [my partner] with a tomahawk."

Her partner then backed up, and the offender said he thought that was what he would do.

Emily thinks the offenders were scared off by the thought of other neighbours emerging from their houses and they fled once again.

Emily's car was still running with the keys in the ignition.

When the police returned, Emily and her partner - who had been running on adrenaline - realised the danger they had put themselves in.

"Because he had confronted me I was so scared, and really shaken because he had a weapon and anything could have happened. No object or possession is worth chasing them for."

She said her family was in shock in the days afterwards and have been "really scared and jumpy".

"We jump at every noise and every car that drives past now and have been constantly checking all the windows and doors are locked."

She said her child had also been terrified at what had occurred.

"We have changed all the locks and are going to get some security cameras and lights."

In sharing her story, Emily wanted to raise awareness about the importance of remembering to lock up and not leaving any valuables in cars that might tempt opportunistic offenders.

"It's really disappointing that this happens in Ballarat but I am just so shocked at how brazen they are. They just didn't care that we were in the house. It's unfortunate but this is the time we live in now. You need to make sure you are vigilant and lock everything up."

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Rod Stepnell told The Courier Ballarat detectives were actively investigating a series of recent aggravated burglaries where cars had been stolen. There have also been numerous attempts.

On Monday police arrested two males, a 15 and 19-year-old, after two Mercedes Benz's were stolen from a Lake Wendouree property and one was pursued as it drove erratically across Ballarat.

He said these males had been charged in relation to a number of offences but police were still actively investigating other incidents with "priority".

"These sort of jobs are given a certain priority given these people have entered houses while people are home."

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Stepnell said the vast majority of offenders had gained access to homes and cars through unlocked garages and doors.

He reminded people to ensure roller doors were down and all access doors and windows were locked, as well as removing all keys, cards and valuables from cars.

"If you're locked up it makes it a lot harder for them to get in," he said, adding keys should be hidden away from view.

He asked the community to call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

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