Michael turned 35 on Monday, August 17. But what was a celebration night at his rented Macgregor home turned to disbelief within hours.
It was birthday bad luck for Michael when burglars allegedly broke into his house, stole his entire gaming set-up down to the last cable, and drove off in his car.
The suspected offenders then allegedly attempted to break into another home on the very next street, leaving its residents shaken as they watched the masked men live on a doorbell camera.
"I got up on Tuesday morning and was getting ready for work. My keys were missing and I happened to look outside the window and my car was gone. I was shocked," he told The Canberra Times.
Michael's partner was equally stunned to find their silver 2019 Kia Cerato missing as they tried to piece together what had happened while they were asleep.
"We didn't hear a thing, which is crazy. We weren't sure how they got in," Michael said.
After alerting ACT Policing that morning, Michael soon realised his PlayStation 5 was also gone.
"The console was gone, the cables were gone, and the controller that had been sitting on the coffee table was gone," he said. He immediately logged in remotely to sign out of his gaming profile and delete his saved bank card.
The couple later discovered the burglars had gained access by forcing open a flyscreen door. They said they were simply grateful their two cats slept through the entire intrusion.
Posting about the break-in on a local community page, Michael wrote: "Thanks all for the birthday wishes, however it didn't end up so great by the end. Woke up to an empty driveway and all my keys (and a PS5) missing. At least N_ _ _, I, and our cats are safe, but it still sucks."
An ACT Policing spokesperson confirmed officers received a report of a residential burglary in Macgregor on the morning of August 18.
"Multiple items were allegedly stolen, including a motor vehicle and a PlayStation 5. Police spoke with nearby residents, however no CCTV footage could be obtained. At this stage, police have been unable to identify any offenders, and investigations remain ongoing," the spokesperson said.
However, just one street away, fellow Macgregor resident Sarah Shannon experienced a terrifying ordeal in the early hours of the same morning.
"It was at 3.23 am. My Ring camera alerted me and then I heard them at the door," Ms Shannon said. She watched live footage on her mobile phone as two masked men tried to unlock her front door.
"Honestly I was shaken. All I could think is what if they are able to get inside? What happens then? What would I do? What would they do?" Ms Shannon recalled the heart-stopping moments.
To the family's immense relief, the men did not gain entry and fled the scene.
Anyone with any information on the Macgregor burglary should contact Crime Stoppers on crimestoppers.com.au, quoting 8474672.
