Car thefts rampant

A series of vehicle thefts are under investigation by Baw Baw police after a string of crimes were reported over the past week.

The incidents included:
Theft from a car in Sadleria St, Drouin, at 6pm on Friday. An unlocked Nissan Navara, parked in a residential driveway, was searched through before $70 cash was stolen.
Police believe the theft was linked to a similar incident seven minutes away, in Cycad St, Drouin where a street-parked black Ford Falcon (unlocked), was accessed through a driver's side door. Nothing was taken.
Diesel was siphoned and tools stolen from a locked Hino vehicle between 4:40pm on Thursday and 7:30am Friday in Mackey St, Longwarry. Parked streetside, the vehicle cabin was forced open and damaged, while copper cabling valued at $2000 was stolen from a nearby worksite. The stolen quantity of fuel and tools totalled to $900 in stolen goods.
Between 7:45pm and 9:45pm on Thursday, an unlocked Nissan Patrol in Timberland Crt, Longwarry was broken into. Police were alerted after a person handed in a purse, containing personal cards and $10 cash, found discarded on the same road. Local Facebook pages saw multiple residents complain about persons checking car doors the same night.
Drouin Football Netball Club was broken into at 11:45pm last Tuesday when the front door to the main entrance was forced open, setting off the alarm and damaging the entrance. Offenders left without any valuables. Police believe they were disturbed by an alarm.
A Subaru sedan parked within the West Gippsland Regional Hospital car park had the passenger window smashed on Wednesday between 8:30am and 9:30am. Stolen from the vehicle was a key and remote control.
A separate Subaru sedan also was stolen broken into, between 6:45am and 2:15pm the same day, with spectacles valued at $500 taken from the car via the vent window, same day.
In Warragul, two street-parked vehicles were broken into at 4:55am Sunday morning, in Ellen Close. Unlocked tool boxes were accessed on both Toyota Hilux utes. The total value of tools stolen was $2000 in Ryobi power tools. Police had been called in relation to reports of a suspicious vehicle in the area, described as a silver SUV, before discovering the open tool boxes and alerting the owners. Anyone with CCTV or information are urged to contact police.
Tools also were stolen at a similar time from a trailer in Peace Ave, including a Paslode framing gun, fixing gun, and jack hammer. The trailer was locked and parked outside the owner's property, who was alerted when a mitre saw was found in the middle of the road, which police believe was dropped or discarded by thieves when leaving the scene. The total value stolen was $2300.