Wandina ‘crime spree’: 39-year-old man remanded in custody after allegedly trespassing on to 11 homes

A 39-year-old man allegedly raided a fridge, stole a pair of shoes and attempted to hotwire a car during a crime spree that saw him trespass on to 11 properties in the one Geraldton suburb in the early hours of Tuesday. Police arrested a man on Tuesday morning who they say was responsible for a spate of burglaries in Wandina. It will be alleged the man trespassed on to 11 properties around Bellimos Drive during a roughly two-hour window between midnight and 2am and attempted to steal a motor vehicle, stole property and opened a fridge door before being disturbed by the owner. Geraldton police proactive unit Sergeant Paul Johnson said police believed the accused scouted multiple homes by jumping fences through the bushland backing the homes. “Throughout the night he’s gone to various houses where he’s trespassed into the yard and in one occasion he’s looked into a window of an address,” he said. Sgt Johnson said at one home, the accused entered the property through a side gate, went into the garage and stole a pair of shoes. Sgt Johnson said the man then allegedly attempted to hotwire a vehicle inside the garage before leaving. He also alleged the man entered another house where the occupant was alerted by the fridge door opening. “He’s (allegedly) opened the fridge, the alarm on the fridge has gone off and the occupant there believed it was her son and spoke out to him,” he said. Sgt Johnson said after the occupant didn’t hear a response, she entered the kitchen and the accused fled from the house. Officers arrested a 39-year-old man — who is known to police — about four hours after the offences. Sgt Johnson said CCTV footage in the area helped police make an arrest and encouraged people in the area to check their home security cameras between midnight and 2am as inquiries were ongoing. Geraldton police station officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Chris Martin urged people to lock up their property and invest in CCTV cameras to avoid opportunistic offences. “I want to thank the officers at the Geraldton police station; they are all highly motivated and absolutely driven to eradicate volume crime,” he said. A 39-year-old man has been charged with nine offences including five counts of trespass, two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of stealing and attempting to steal a motor vehicle. He was remanded in custody at Greenough Prison. He faced Geraldton Magistrates Court on Wednesday and did not apply for bail. He will reappear on November 2.