The tranquility of a quiet Oxley neighbourhood was shattered last week after three masked men wielding large knives allegedly targeted a number of homes.
The trio reportedly vandalised vehicles, stole valuables, and threatened a woman at knifepoint inside her own home before stealing her mobile phone.
Victims described the experience as "terrifying" and "scary", with home CCTV capturing the moment the three robbers ran riot through the streets. In an incident described by one victim as "the creepiest thing", the gang left three decorative Halloween skulls at a front door before fleeing.
The crime spree began at about 3.20am on Thursday, June 18, when 57-year-old Christine McMorrow walked out to the seating area in her Newman-Morris Circuit backyard for a cigarette.
"I heard noises and thought it was a cat or a possum," she said.
But what she encountered seconds later has left her deeply shaken.
"Three masked men, all holding big knives, walked up to me. One guy pointed the knife at me and said, 'Give me your stuff,'" Mrs McMorrow recalled, describing the moment a shining blade was held centimetres from her face.
While she froze in fear, two of the men allegedly entered her home to ransack the interior. That was the moment Mrs McMorrow's motherly instincts kicked in, as she realised her children were asleep inside.
Overcoming her terror, she screamed, "Get the f-- out of my house".
"They immediately left the house, but one took my phone," she said, her voice quavering as she visibly shook from the memory of the harrowing home invasion.
Her shouts woke her husband, Bill Freeman, who chased the armed men, but they vanished into the darkness.
The masked, knife-wielding gang also allegedly targeted homes on Hammond Close and Schonell Circuit.
While the robbers were caught on CCTV at multiple properties, an incident at a home on Hammond Close was described as particularly sinister.
"We woke up in the morning and checked our cameras. It was a very scary thing to wake up to," said a 27-year-old woman, who watched footage of three masked men with drawn knives hovering around her home while she, her husband, and their children slept inside.
"I think they didn't attempt to come in because the kitchen light was on," her 30-year-old husband said.
The couple asked not to be identified as they remain fearful for their family's safety.
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However, what left the young family truly terrified was discovering that the gang had taken plastic Halloween skulls from their backyard and arranged them to face the front door.
"It is the creepiest thing," the woman said.
The gang was also filmed breaking into the husband's parked car, allegedly stealing his wallet containing cash and bank cards.
The trio is also suspected of vandalising cars on Schonell Circuit.
"I came out in the morning to go to the gym and found massive holes in the back of my car," said Laura Scicluna, who found the rear windshield of her parked BMW smashed.
"I have been living here for nearly 12 years and nothing like this has ever happened."
ACT Policing confirmed they have received multiple reports of thefts and a burglary on Newman-Morris Circuit and Hammond Close in Oxley on Thursday morning, June 18, 2026.
Investigations are ongoing. Nearby residents who witnessed suspicious activity or have relevant CCTV footage from Thursday morning are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, quoting the reference number 8418845.
Information can be provided anonymously.
