By Alesha Capone
A BURGLAR with a sweet tooth has been breaking into businesses across the West and raiding their vending machines for snacks and cash.
The burglaries – which have been occurring since August last year in locations including Truganina, Laverton North, Derrimut and Altona – are being investigated by the Wyndham Burglary Unit.
Constable Casey O’Grady said there have been “upwards of 20 incidents” in the series of food-related felonies.
Images of a person, on a motorcycle and in a vehicle, have been captured on CCTV at some of the premises which have been targeted during the burglaries.
“We do not have CCTV footage of all the incidents but believe they may possibly be carried out by the same person,” Const O’Grady said.
She said during most of the burglaries, the offender has been stealing cash and food, including soft drinks and lollies, from the vending machines.
“It’s between five and 10 minutes every time, he goes and looks through the window wherever he breaks into, to see if they have a vending machine – and then breaks in and smashes open the vending machine,” she said.
“At one place, he dragged the machine outside, and took the change out of the machine then.
“Sometimes businesses don’t know how much money gets stolen from the vending machine, because they don’t know how much goes through it, but if it has been emptied that day, it could be anything from $2 to $200.”
Const O’Grady said the most recent vending machine burglary occurred between 3 and 4 January in Altona.
Police believe the offender possibly has a motorcycle licence, and access to a motorbike and vehicle described as a red Hyundai Accent.
Const O’Grady appealed for anyone who can “identify of this person” or with any information about the burglaries to contact the Wyndham Burglary Unit on 97429411 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
