Couple watches cars being stolen live on camera, only able to yell at the burglars in vain

The Advertiser

11-07-2025

A Canberra family watched in horror, live on camera, as two masked burglars, broke into their Kaleen home and drove away with their two expensive cars early on Saturday.
The minutes that followed were more dramatic as the female victim yelled out "get the f--- out of my house" through the CCTV camera speaker, leading the perpetrators to take off in the cars.
Her son gave chase after two of their family cars through parts of north Canberra but stopped when told by police it was too dangerous.
Stephen and Cassandra's were on a work trip to Nhill in Victoria last weekend when Cassandra's phone lit up about 6.30am on Saturday.
"I saw 10 to 15 video alerts on my phone and I logged in to see two masked men standing in our driveway. I immediately rang the police and our son who lives nearby to check on the house," Cassandra told The Canberra Times.
The family were remote witnesses to the scenes of the burglars entering their home of 26 years, breaking open the back door.
"They wore gloves and took off their shoes, possibly not to make noise. They searched through the house before reaching the cup carrying the spare car keys on the first floor," Stephen said.
With the family's pet cats still on the first floor, the burglars took the keys and returned to the driveway.
"It was very unsettling to see one with a baseball bat in hand. We believe 100 per cent, they thought we were at home as all cars were in the driveway and had come prepared. It is very disturbing," said Cassandra.
As the couple watched the masked and hooded men getting ready to take their cars - a Ford Mustang and a Toyota C-HR - Cassandra remembered the camera voice feature.
"I yelled out to the men through the outdoor camera speaker and that caught them by surprise. Stunned and staring up at us for a second, they quickly got into the cars and drove away," she said.
The family said they were in touch with ACT Policing as the burglary unfolded.
The couple's son who lives in Bruce was rushing to his family home when he saw his dad's Mustang, with its distinctive rego plate, drive in the opposite direction past the North Canberra Hospital.
"Out of instinct, he did a U-ey and followed the vehicle for 15 minutes. When they reached McKellar, the thief realised he was made. He then turned around the vehicle, facing my son and flashed the lights, possibly as a warning," recalled Stephen.
But with the concerned family asking him to back off, the son returned only to then encounter his mother's Toyota in front of him. "He followed it to Giralang but stopped after police advised it was too dangerous to follow as the driver was driving erratically and at top speeds," Cassandra added.
The Kaleen couple who were "shaken" by Saturday's events said the responding ACT Policing team were "incredibly impressive", telling them their stolen cars were recovered within two days.
Investigating teams visited the crime scene and other houses in the streets the men attempted to break into. "I was inside the house and my camera caught the two trying to open the doors and windows possibly for my Mercedes parked inside," a 65-year-old woman neighbour told The Canberra Times.
Both families are planning on upgrading their security systems in and around their homes.
ACT Policing said no arrests have been made in the case and inquiries are ongoing.
A Canberra family watched in horror, live on camera, as two masked burglars, broke into their Kaleen home and drove away with their two expensive cars early on Saturday.
The minutes that followed were more dramatic as the female victim yelled out "get the f--- out of my house" through the CCTV camera speaker, leading the perpetrators to take off in the cars.
Her son gave chase after two of their family cars through parts of north Canberra but stopped when told by police it was too dangerous.
Stephen and Cassandra's were on a work trip to Nhill in Victoria last weekend when Cassandra's phone lit up about 6.30am on Saturday.
"I saw 10 to 15 video alerts on my phone and I logged in to see two masked men standing in our driveway. I immediately rang the police and our son who lives nearby to check on the house," Cassandra told The Canberra Times.
The family were remote witnesses to the scenes of the burglars entering their home of 26 years, breaking open the back door.
"They wore gloves and took off their shoes, possibly not to make noise. They searched through the house before reaching the cup carrying the spare car keys on the first floor," Stephen said.
With the family's pet cats still on the first floor, the burglars took the keys and returned to the driveway.
"It was very unsettling to see one with a baseball bat in hand. We believe 100 per cent, they thought we were at home as all cars were in the driveway and had come prepared. It is very disturbing," said Cassandra.
As the couple watched the masked and hooded men getting ready to take their cars - a Ford Mustang and a Toyota C-HR - Cassandra remembered the camera voice feature.
"I yelled out to the men through the outdoor camera speaker and that caught them by surprise. Stunned and staring up at us for a second, they quickly got into the cars and drove away," she said.
The family said they were in touch with ACT Policing as the burglary unfolded.
The couple's son who lives in Bruce was rushing to his family home when he saw his dad's Mustang, with its distinctive rego plate, drive in the opposite direction past the North Canberra Hospital.
"Out of instinct, he did a U-ey and followed the vehicle for 15 minutes. When they reached McKellar, the thief realised he was made. He then turned around the vehicle, facing my son and flashed the lights, possibly as a warning," recalled Stephen.
But with the concerned family asking him to back off, the son returned only to then encounter his mother's Toyota in front of him. "He followed it to Giralang but stopped after police advised it was too dangerous to follow as the driver was driving erratically and at top speeds," Cassandra added.
The Kaleen couple who were "shaken" by Saturday's events said the responding ACT Policing team were "incredibly impressive", telling them their stolen cars were recovered within two days.
Investigating teams visited the crime scene and other houses in the streets the men attempted to break into. "I was inside the house and my camera caught the two trying to open the doors and windows possibly for my Mercedes parked inside," a 65-year-old woman neighbour told The Canberra Times.
Both families are planning on upgrading their security systems in and around their homes.
ACT Policing said no arrests have been made in the case and inquiries are ongoing.
A Canberra family watched in horror, live on camera, as two masked burglars, broke into their Kaleen home and drove away with their two expensive cars early on Saturday.
The minutes that followed were more dramatic as the female victim yelled out "get the f--- out of my house" through the CCTV camera speaker, leading the perpetrators to take off in the cars.
Her son gave chase after two of their family cars through parts of north Canberra but stopped when told by police it was too dangerous.
Stephen and Cassandra's were on a work trip to Nhill in Victoria last weekend when Cassandra's phone lit up about 6.30am on Saturday.
"I saw 10 to 15 video alerts on my phone and I logged in to see two masked men standing in our driveway. I immediately rang the police and our son who lives nearby to check on the house," Cassandra told The Canberra Times.
The family were remote witnesses to the scenes of the burglars entering their home of 26 years, breaking open the back door.
"They wore gloves and took off their shoes, possibly not to make noise. They searched through the house before reaching the cup carrying the spare car keys on the first floor," Stephen said.
With the family's pet cats still on the first floor, the burglars took the keys and returned to the driveway.
"It was very unsettling to see one with a baseball bat in hand. We believe 100 per cent, they thought we were at home as all cars were in the driveway and had come prepared. It is very disturbing," said Cassandra.
As the couple watched the masked and hooded men getting ready to take their cars - a Ford Mustang and a Toyota C-HR - Cassandra remembered the camera voice feature.
"I yelled out to the men through the outdoor camera speaker and that caught them by surprise. Stunned and staring up at us for a second, they quickly got into the cars and drove away," she said.
The family said they were in touch with ACT Policing as the burglary unfolded.
The couple's son who lives in Bruce was rushing to his family home when he saw his dad's Mustang, with its distinctive rego plate, drive in the opposite direction past the North Canberra Hospital.
"Out of instinct, he did a U-ey and followed the vehicle for 15 minutes. When they reached McKellar, the thief realised he was made. He then turned around the vehicle, facing my son and flashed the lights, possibly as a warning," recalled Stephen.
But with the concerned family asking him to back off, the son returned only to then encounter his mother's Toyota in front of him. "He followed it to Giralang but stopped after police advised it was too dangerous to follow as the driver was driving erratically and at top speeds," Cassandra added.
The Kaleen couple who were "shaken" by Saturday's events said the responding ACT Policing team were "incredibly impressive", telling them their stolen cars were recovered within two days.
Investigating teams visited the crime scene and other houses in the streets the men attempted to break into. "I was inside the house and my camera caught the two trying to open the doors and windows possibly for my Mercedes parked inside," a 65-year-old woman neighbour told The Canberra Times.
Both families are planning on upgrading their security systems in and around their homes.
ACT Policing said no arrests have been made in the case and inquiries are ongoing.
A Canberra family watched in horror, live on camera, as two masked burglars, broke into their Kaleen home and drove away with their two expensive cars early on Saturday.
The minutes that followed were more dramatic as the female victim yelled out "get the f--- out of my house" through the CCTV camera speaker, leading the perpetrators to take off in the cars.
Her son gave chase after two of their family cars through parts of north Canberra but stopped when told by police it was too dangerous.
Stephen and Cassandra's were on a work trip to Nhill in Victoria last weekend when Cassandra's phone lit up about 6.30am on Saturday.
"I saw 10 to 15 video alerts on my phone and I logged in to see two masked men standing in our driveway. I immediately rang the police and our son who lives nearby to check on the house," Cassandra told The Canberra Times.
The family were remote witnesses to the scenes of the burglars entering their home of 26 years, breaking open the back door.
"They wore gloves and took off their shoes, possibly not to make noise. They searched through the house before reaching the cup carrying the spare car keys on the first floor," Stephen said.
With the family's pet cats still on the first floor, the burglars took the keys and returned to the driveway.
"It was very unsettling to see one with a baseball bat in hand. We believe 100 per cent, they thought we were at home as all cars were in the driveway and had come prepared. It is very disturbing," said Cassandra.
As the couple watched the masked and hooded men getting ready to take their cars - a Ford Mustang and a Toyota C-HR - Cassandra remembered the camera voice feature.
"I yelled out to the men through the outdoor camera speaker and that caught them by surprise. Stunned and staring up at us for a second, they quickly got into the cars and drove away," she said.
The family said they were in touch with ACT Policing as the burglary unfolded.
The couple's son who lives in Bruce was rushing to his family home when he saw his dad's Mustang, with its distinctive rego plate, drive in the opposite direction past the North Canberra Hospital.
"Out of instinct, he did a U-ey and followed the vehicle for 15 minutes. When they reached McKellar, the thief realised he was made. He then turned around the vehicle, facing my son and flashed the lights, possibly as a warning," recalled Stephen.
But with the concerned family asking him to back off, the son returned only to then encounter his mother's Toyota in front of him. "He followed it to Giralang but stopped after police advised it was too dangerous to follow as the driver was driving erratically and at top speeds," Cassandra added.
The Kaleen couple who were "shaken" by Saturday's events said the responding ACT Policing team were "incredibly impressive", telling them their stolen cars were recovered within two days.
Investigating teams visited the crime scene and other houses in the streets the men attempted to break into. "I was inside the house and my camera caught the two trying to open the doors and windows possibly for my Mercedes parked inside," a 65-year-old woman neighbour told The Canberra Times.
Both families are planning on upgrading their security systems in and around their homes.
ACT Policing said no arrests have been made in the case and inquiries are ongoing.