Boss of global tanning sensation Bondi Sands reveals terrifying moment when his Porsche was stolen from outside his luxury home while his pregnant wife slept inside
- Company manager woken up by burglars
- He and his pregnant wife were asleep
- Thieves quickly made off in Blair James’ Porsche
- The manhunt for the 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS continues
A millionaire businessman and his pregnant wife remember the “incredibly scary” moment when brutal thieves broke into their home before stealing their luxury car.
The desperate manhunt for the black 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS continues from the driveway of Bondi Sands chief executive Blair James in the Melbourne suburb of Kew at around 5am on Wednesday.
He and his wife Melanie were sleeping indoors when they were awakened by the sound of footsteps running down the hallway.
The thieves found the car keys and took Melanie’s luxury Luis Vuitton handbag and wallet before climbing out a window and driving off in the couple’s Porsche.
“It sounded like little footsteps, almost like a kid running down the hallway,” Mr. James told 3AW host Neil Mitchell.
Bondi Sands CEO Blair James and his wife of nine months Melanie were woken up early Wednesday morning by intruders in their home
“It took me a while to realize what was going on. We see there’s no trace of how they got in or where they came out in the beginning, but eventually we found a window.
‘It went quite quickly. We were of course quite shocked when it happened.’
Ms James also described the terrifying ordeal in a series of Instagram stories.
“We heard them run down the hall and get out of bed, by which time they had jumped out the window and started the car,” Ms James wrote.
“Then another car stopped and people jumped out of the car and into mine and he sped off.
“They also stole my bag with my wallet in it. I hate people.’
In another story, she wrote, “Being 21 weeks pregnant doesn’t help!”
The brazen thieves made off in the couple’s 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS (pictured)
The car – which has the number plates MVA 0 – has yet to be recovered.
The model has an estimated value of over $200,000.
“I think Vic police detectives can track the car now, so hopefully I’ll get it back in one piece soon,” Ms James wrote in an update.
Mr James said police had told them they hoped to recover the car.
“They said it could be one of two motives, firstly because it’s kids who want to go for a ride in a nice car,” Mr James told 3AW.
“They also said they are syndicates recruiting kids to take these cars and possibly sell them afterwards and then ship them overseas.”
Blair James and his wife (pictured) hope that their stolen car can be recovered by the police
The theft comes a month after the couple announced on social media that they were expecting their first child in October.
James married the love of his life in a lavish ceremony on Lake Como in Italy last August, two years after the wedding was postponed due to the pandemic.
Bondi Sands, co-founded by Mr. James and Shaun Wilson, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The brand was founded in 2012 as a homegrown solution to buff away dead skin cells and achieve a radiant, natural-looking complexion with ease.
It quickly took the international scene by storm and has now diversified into sun and skin care categories with one product sold every three seconds worldwide.
The fake tan brand is available at more than 43,000 retailers worldwide, offers 48 products and has 60 percent of the market share in Australia.
Blair and his wife Melanie are expecting their first child in October this year