Local police take down one-man crime spree in Wonthaggi

CRIME might have been up by 7.6 per cent in the Bass Coast Shire over the past 12 months but local police went a long way to bringing the number of offences down last Tuesday when they swooped on a disused residential address in King Street Wonthaggi.

Acting on a significant amount of information from the public, police from Wonthaggi and Inverloch went looking for a 30-year-old male in relation to a long list of offences including motor vehicle theft, stolen property and theft of petrol over a wide area of South Gippsland, Bass Coast and surrounding areas.

This included but may not be limited to petrol drive-offs at places including Clyde (Jan 24), Inverloch (Jan 25), Leongatha (Feb 10 & Feb 12), Foster (Feb 13), Bass (Feb 26) and Fish Creek (March 8).

According to the Bass Coast Police Service Area Eyewatch page on Facebook, these offences relate to a man driving a stolen black Subaru WRX sedan which they say had been repeatedly modified in an effort to disguise its appearance while displaying stolen, altered or poorly made-up registration plates.

“Upon police arrival, the male came out of the dwelling but quickly turned tail and zigged and zagged around the place, and ran back inside as he clearly knew his time on the run was up,” said police.

“A female associate of the male did her best to impede police by endeavouring to use her body to block the sliding glass doorway, and then wanted to argue the toss about legislation and stuff, and then spoke about her big dog,” they said, before being quickly moved aside.

“The male, showing a desire to hide from what was always going to be the eventual outcome, ran around the dirty and messy interior of the derelict house.

“In a bedroom, feeling cornered, the male hurriedly jumped on a soiled mattress and pulled another mattress on top of him, making himself the metaphorical meat in a mattress sandwich.

“His rouse failed to work as almost as quickly as he was pulling the queen-sized foam and springs over himself local police were ripping it off him.

“The male was not initially compliant, however, was soon overpowered and subdued, and then before he knew it, he was getting marched out of the dwelling, into a police vehicle, for a short ride back to the Wonthaggi Police Station.”

Police also located the stolen black Subaru WRX sedan in Broome Crescent Wonthaggi.

The alleged offender was charged with the following offences:

• Theft of motor vehicle
• Theft x 7
• Handle/receive/retention stolen goods x 9
• Commit indictable offence while on bail x 7
• Drive whilst disqualified x 6

The male was bailed to appear at the Korumburra Magistrates’ Court on September 3, 2026.

Police have reported that on the following day, Wednesday, March 18, a stolen caravan was located, which is believed to have been stolen by the same person. More charges are set to follow.

“The investigation into multiple other thefts of petrol involving the stolen black Subaru WRX sedan is ongoing,” say police who would still like to hear from the public in relation to these offences and others involving the black Subaru WRX.

They say it is another pleasing example of the community working together with police to identify and track offenders in an effort to stop crime.

“If you have any information about this matter, or any other crime, please contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or at: https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/report-a-crime/ Information can be provided anonymously.”

 Police warn visiting offenders

Local police have also issued a warning to visiting would-be offenders that if they come to Bass Coast or South Gippsland they run a very good chance of getting caught.

On Wednesday night, March 18, at about 8pm, acting on information from the community, local police from the Wonthaggi Police Station attended Graham Street Wonthaggi, at which time a 56-year-old male from Richmond was arrested for theft.

“Luckily, the property which the male had allegedly stolen from a small business in Graham Street the day before at about 5pm, was located. The property was returned to the owner not long after the offender was being brought into our interview rooms,” said local police.

The male was charged with theft and committing an indictable offence whilst on bail.

The male has been bailed to appear at the Korumburra Magistrates’ Court on April 30, 2026.

“Don’t come to Bass Coast and South Gippsland and think that you can thieve and get away with it. We won’t put up with it. Either will our hardworking businesses or our good local community,” said police on their Bass Coast Eyewatch Facebook page.

“We like nothing more than hunting down those who steal from our hardworking locals, and we must say it was a great feeling when we gave the owner back their stolen property.”

Claims made by local police that Bass Coast and South Gippsland are not good places to commit an offence if you want to get away with it seem to be borne out by the latest Crime Statistics Agency figures released on Thursday, March 19.

In Bass Coast, charges were laid in 40.9% of cases by year's end in 2025, and 43% of cases in South Gippsland, 35.9% of offences in Bass Coast had a status of 'unsolved' or ongoing by year's end, as compared to 37.6% in South Gippsland.

In only 23,2% of cases (Bass Coast) and 19.4% (South Gippsland) were charges not laid.

Here's a breakdown on the percentage number of offences where charges were laid in local areas:

• Bass Coast 40.9%
• South Gippsland 43%
• Baw Baw 33.6%
• Latrobe 36.9%
• Casey 27%
• Cardinia 30.4%

If you have information on people coming to the area to steal, or to commit other offences, give Crime Stoppers Victoria a call on 1800 333 000 or jump online at: https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/report-a-crime/ Information can be provided anonymously.

'Thefts' significant in Bass Coast

In the 12 months to the end of December 2025, crime in Bass Coast was up by 7.6% from 2395 criminal incidents to 2577 incidents.

The top crime was 'Breach Family Violence Order' (314), followed by criminal damage (255) but with general theft (202) and motor vehicle theft (153) combining to make a significant impact on crime statistics overall in Bass Coast.

In South Gippsland the number of criminal incidents was down 1.1% from 1603 offences to 1585. Although the top offence group was 'Breach Family Violence Order' (174), the combined total of motor vehicle thefts (113) and general thefts (138) made this the most significant offence. There were 158 criminal damage incidents.