Call for justice as serial mail thief is caught on camera
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Members, if there's one thing we must never compromise on, it's our security – and that includes the safety of our mail. Even if it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, it’s upsetting for anyone to have their mail tampered with, taken, or to have important items missing from their mailbox.
So, when a mystery man was caught on video at a high-rise complex repeatedly breaking into mailboxes, the senior residents in the building were left scared and upset.
Seniors living in a high-rise apartment in Surfers Paradise have become fed up with the recent slew of mail thefts in the building. And many are now calling for justice after a man suspected of stealing their mail was caught on CCTV footage.
In the CCTV footage obtained by A Current Affair, the man can be seen entering the property and breaking into the mailboxes of the residents on four separate occasions between October 2022 and January 2023.
Alice, 89, was one of the residents whose mailbox was targeted by the thief. She told reporters that she had been expecting a Christmas gift from her sister-in-law but when it had not arrived, Alice knew something was off.
‘I kept saying, “no, I haven’t received anything at all”, and that’s when I started to ask questions about what happened,’ she explained.
Among the mail was a gift card from Alice’s sister-in-law that was meant to pay for a well-deserved pedicure.
‘She always encourages me to go and get my feet done, because, you know, I can’t get down to my feet,’ Alice stated.
Previous reports had been made about missing mail, while others said their mail hadn’t arrived at all. Property Manager Cameron Moir checked the building’s CCTV vision only to catch the suspected thief in the act at 1:30 am on Christmas morning.
The alleged thief was seen walking towards the building’s security camera and immediately tilted it down to restrict its view of the mailboxes.
‘He spent over an hour basically jimmying open every single letterbox, taking every piece of mail that he could, that he thought had value,’ Mr Moir shared.
Still, he was seen rummaging through each box for more than 40 minutes before appearing to shove down the mail in his jumper and leave the property.
Mr Moir suspected that the man knew exactly what he was doing.
‘He’d been scoping the place obviously and he comes in kind of head down and knows where the camera is and tilts it down,’ Mr Moir claimed.
The alleged thief returned on Boxing Day at 7:00 am dressed in the same outfit. Only this time, the man looked like his plans were interrupted by a resident coming home.
Mr Moir said that the accused thief’s nefarious antics and alleged use of a pocket knife had residents worried for their safety.
‘For them, there is this guy in the local area who’s getting more and more brazen. To do one random theft is one thing, to just keep getting bolder and coming back, that’s just crossing that line,’ Mr Moir explained.
The property manager has since put up a second security camera by the building’s entrance, and had trimmed back the hedges to help them catch the man.
The suspected thief returned once more on January 8 and appeared to tilt the first CCTV camera away from the mailboxes, before realising that a new camera had been installed. In a bizarre move, the man looked right at the camera and continued to finish the job.
‘It doesn’t seem to disturb him at all,’ Mr Moir stated.
You can watch the news coverage here:
The CCTV vision was handed over to the police and both Mr Moir and the building’s residents are hoping that it’s now only a matter of time before the culprit is caught.
‘We’re doing what we have to do to get this guy and the police are looking for him.’
Meanwhile, Alice hopes that the thief doesn’t return again so that she can receive what is rightfully hers. She said: ‘The upsetting thing is everybody going to all that trouble…and it [the gift] doesn’t arrive, because somebody thinks they’re entitled to it more than me.’
In a statement shared by the Officer in Charge of Surfers Paradise Station, Senior Sergeant Bradley Rix, they reassured everyone that the police are now investigating the matter.
‘Police are currently working to identify the man and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000,’ he declared.
Before adding that adopting practical safety strategies, like being aware of your surroundings can help reduce victimisation and assist you to respond effectively if your safety is threatened.
Finally, he said: ‘Statistics show the older you get the less likely you are to become a victim of crime. Seniors are more experienced and wiser; they tend to spend more time at home and with family and are less likely to place themselves in high-risk situations.
Despite this lower risk, it is still important to recognise risky situations and take precautions to protect themselves and their property.’
According to the Queensland Police, here are some safety tips to help you feel safe in your own home:
What security measures have you taken to protect yourself at home? Let us know in the comments below. We hope you always stay safe, members!
So, when a mystery man was caught on video at a high-rise complex repeatedly breaking into mailboxes, the senior residents in the building were left scared and upset.
Seniors living in a high-rise apartment in Surfers Paradise have become fed up with the recent slew of mail thefts in the building. And many are now calling for justice after a man suspected of stealing their mail was caught on CCTV footage.
In the CCTV footage obtained by A Current Affair, the man can be seen entering the property and breaking into the mailboxes of the residents on four separate occasions between October 2022 and January 2023.
A man was seen breaking into the mailboxes of residents living at the site on four occasions. Credit: Maksim Goncharenok/Pexels
Alice, 89, was one of the residents whose mailbox was targeted by the thief. She told reporters that she had been expecting a Christmas gift from her sister-in-law but when it had not arrived, Alice knew something was off.
‘I kept saying, “no, I haven’t received anything at all”, and that’s when I started to ask questions about what happened,’ she explained.
Among the mail was a gift card from Alice’s sister-in-law that was meant to pay for a well-deserved pedicure.
‘She always encourages me to go and get my feet done, because, you know, I can’t get down to my feet,’ Alice stated.
The thief was caught in the act at 1:30 am on Christmas morning. Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
Previous reports had been made about missing mail, while others said their mail hadn’t arrived at all. Property Manager Cameron Moir checked the building’s CCTV vision only to catch the suspected thief in the act at 1:30 am on Christmas morning.
The alleged thief was seen walking towards the building’s security camera and immediately tilted it down to restrict its view of the mailboxes.
‘He spent over an hour basically jimmying open every single letterbox, taking every piece of mail that he could, that he thought had value,’ Mr Moir shared.
Still, he was seen rummaging through each box for more than 40 minutes before appearing to shove down the mail in his jumper and leave the property.
Mr Moir suspected that the man knew exactly what he was doing.
‘He’d been scoping the place obviously and he comes in kind of head down and knows where the camera is and tilts it down,’ Mr Moir claimed.
According to Mr Moir, the thief knew ‘exactly’ what he was doing. Credit: Jill Burrow/Pexels
The alleged thief returned on Boxing Day at 7:00 am dressed in the same outfit. Only this time, the man looked like his plans were interrupted by a resident coming home.
Mr Moir said that the accused thief’s nefarious antics and alleged use of a pocket knife had residents worried for their safety.
‘For them, there is this guy in the local area who’s getting more and more brazen. To do one random theft is one thing, to just keep getting bolder and coming back, that’s just crossing that line,’ Mr Moir explained.
The property manager has since put up a second security camera by the building’s entrance, and had trimmed back the hedges to help them catch the man.
The suspected thief returned once more on January 8 and appeared to tilt the first CCTV camera away from the mailboxes, before realising that a new camera had been installed. In a bizarre move, the man looked right at the camera and continued to finish the job.
‘It doesn’t seem to disturb him at all,’ Mr Moir stated.
You can watch the news coverage here:
The CCTV vision was handed over to the police and both Mr Moir and the building’s residents are hoping that it’s now only a matter of time before the culprit is caught.
‘We’re doing what we have to do to get this guy and the police are looking for him.’
Meanwhile, Alice hopes that the thief doesn’t return again so that she can receive what is rightfully hers. She said: ‘The upsetting thing is everybody going to all that trouble…and it [the gift] doesn’t arrive, because somebody thinks they’re entitled to it more than me.’
In a statement shared by the Officer in Charge of Surfers Paradise Station, Senior Sergeant Bradley Rix, they reassured everyone that the police are now investigating the matter.
‘Police are currently working to identify the man and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000,’ he declared.
Before adding that adopting practical safety strategies, like being aware of your surroundings can help reduce victimisation and assist you to respond effectively if your safety is threatened.
Remember these safety tips, members. Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club
Finally, he said: ‘Statistics show the older you get the less likely you are to become a victim of crime. Seniors are more experienced and wiser; they tend to spend more time at home and with family and are less likely to place themselves in high-risk situations.
Despite this lower risk, it is still important to recognise risky situations and take precautions to protect themselves and their property.’
According to the Queensland Police, here are some safety tips to help you feel safe in your own home:
- If you and your family communicate on the internet, make sure you don’t give out personal details such as your home address or phone number.
- Be cautious about the information you give to strangers – don’t tell them where you live or when you will be away.
- Program the numbers of a relative, neighbour, or close friend you can contact if you need assistance, including the emergency number, Triple Zero (000).
- If you receive mail, emails or phone calls requesting money, even if it’s for charity, verify where the request has come from before donating.
- Consider installing an alarm system in your home, particularly if you live alone, to help protect your home and personal safety.
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