A CHELTENHAM man has been charged with aggravated burglary, theft and obtaining property by deception.
Police allege that early Sunday morning 13 September he broke into a house in Sherwood Av, Chelsea, while the occupants were asleep upstairs and stole a laptop, car keys and the victim’s wallet. They say the man then made numerous fraudulent purchases on a stolen credit card. The next day, police executed a search warrant on a Cheltenham house and arrested the 31-year-old.
Detective Senior Constable Carly O’Donnell, of Kingston CIU, said police seized other items from the man’s home which were identified as being stolen during “a large number of thefts from motor vehicles between Cheltenham and Chelsea”.
She said ongoing inquiries were being made with the accused facing further charges of theft.
He was bailed with strict conditions to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on 17 December.
“I have been able to return property to some of the victim’s which is always rewarding,” Detective O’Donnell said.
“It also serves as a reminder for motorists to lock their vehicles and not to leave valuables in their cars.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 7 October 2015
