Man charged after he allegedly stole 100 number plates from parked cars in Brighton Le Sands
Man charged after allegedly stealing 100 license plates from parked cars in four hours
- Police have arrested a 28-year-old man
- Detectives investigate why so many were pinched
A thief stole more than 100 license plates from parked cars during a four-hour rampage, police allege.
The number plates were reportedly taken from the Brighton Le Sands area of southern Sydney between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on March 12.
Streets targeted included Bay, O’Neill, Princess, Bruce and Gordon Streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues.
Detectives began looking for the alleged perpetrator after receiving a deluge of reports from car owners about missing license plates on the same day.
Police previously released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak to who they believe could help with their investigation as part of a public appeal for information.
Streets targeted included Bay, O’Neill, Bay, Princess, Bruce and Gordon Streets, Crawford and Teralba Roads, Brighton and Moate Avenues in the Brighton-Le-Sands area (stock image)
Police have previously released CCTV footage of a man they believe could help with the investigation. It is not known whether this was the arrested man
On Tuesday, officers arrested a 28-year-old man at a residence in Brighton Le Sands at around 7am following extensive inquiries and the public appeal for help.
The man is accused of theft and also of destroying or damaging property.
A video uploaded to social media earlier this month showed how the attack across several streets in Brighton-Le-Sands left a series of cars without number plates or out of shape with them in an attempt to pry them free.
License plates are often targeted by criminals who place them on other vehicles to avoid getting caught when breaking the law.
The police can then issue fines or even arrest the unsuspecting motorists whose license plates have been stolen.
Earlier this month, a video was posted online showing some of the damage in the suburb
A video uploaded to social media showed cars in Brighton-Le-Sands with their number plates removed
Community groups are urging motorists to increase both security and anti-theft measures to curb the wave of license plate crime.
Car owners can purchase special screws from auto parts stores to secure license plates, which cannot be removed.
The arrested man appeared briefly in court on Wednesday and was given strict conditional bail to appear again in Sutherland local court on April 4.
Police added that their investigation into why the license plates were allegedly stolen is ongoing.