A Sunshine West woman is living in fear after two attempted burglaries at her house in less than six months.
The woman’s daughter, who did not want to be identified, said her mother had been distressed and paranoid since the most recent attempted break-in on January 11.
“About 10pm, she heard noise outside and, because the roller shutters were down, she went to check it out and could hear someone running away,” the woman said.
The first attempt was on September 1 after the family had gone out for dinner.
“We left the roller shutter open and arrived home about 9.30pm,” the daughter said.
“They’d managed to open the screen door with a crowbar and had tried to break into the sliding door. It’s been a bit scary since we repaired all the damage from last time, and someone’s already trying to break in again.”
Brimbank’s Senior Sergeant Shannon Symons confirmed the woman’s reports and said the house had been scanned on both occasions for forensic evidence.
“We definitely recommend alarms; they’re the best thing and can alert the family that someone’s inside. CCTV is great, too, but alarms are the first line of defence,” Senior Sergeant Symons said.
The woman says her mum, aged 55, is particularly fearful given her home is close to Allison Street, where a man was shot dead by an armed intruder in his house on February 3.
Police are still searching for the killer, who they believe may still be armed after they failed to find a weapon at the address.
“It’s still not known if it was a targeted attack, so it’s frightening to think there’s a burglar out there with a gun, picking random houses,” the daughter said.
Anyone with any information about the shooting or attempted burglaries can report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
