What was meant to be a coastal getaway to celebrate a birthday on August 21 turned into a nightmare for a Bruce couple.
They rushed back home to Canberra after their housemate discovered the property ransacked and showed them the damage on FaceTime.
"I think they came through the doggy door," said one of the 35-year-old victims, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear following the brazen break-in at Belconnen last month.
Offenders stripped the ground-floor home, located near GIO Stadium, of valuable electronics, personal items, and transport.
"Seven watches, jewellery, a phone, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Apple TV, Kindles, bank cards, and fitness equipment were taken," she said. Their 2019 silver Hyundai Venue was also stolen from the garage.
The ordeal escalated in the days that followed. The burglars allegedly splurged on food and fuel using the victim's stolen credit cards in Gundagai before returning to the Bruce residence on August 25.
"We found out from CCTV it was our car, but with a different rego plate," the victim said.
"They had taken the spare keys to my wife's Nissan. They might have come back for her car."
Two days later, the woman was shocked to find an online photograph of her silver SUV dumped face-down in a stream at Jeir in the NSW Southern Tablelands.
"The car is probably a write-off and I may have to buy a new one," she said.
"We were planning to start a family, but the incident has left us with a big financial burden, a loss of more than $33,000."
The ongoing process has left the couple frustrated.
"It's forgotten that we are victims of the crime," she said.
ACT Policing confirmed the stolen Hyundai Venue has been linked to several other burglaries in Belconnen and surrounding areas.
Investigators have released photographs from CCTV footage depicting a male driver with prominent tattoos on his right arm. During the crime spree, the silver Hyundai bore registration plates YQH46F or CK550.
Police urge anyone with information, CCTV, or dashcam footage relating to the suspect or the vehicle to contact Crime Stoppers ACT quoting reference 8478635. Information can be provided anonymously.
