A man and woman have been charged with 42 combined offences following an investigation by Lake Macquarie Police District.
Earlier this year, officers from the Lake Macquarie Proactive Crime Team commenced an investigation following several break, enter and steal offences they believed were linked.
About 5am yesterday (Tuesday 26 March 2024), police were notified that a Chevrolet Silverado utility was allegedly stolen from a Cams Wharf address.
A short time later, the ute was located alight at Belmont South, with the fire extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters.
General Duties police - assisted by the Dog Unit and Operation UTAH - established a perimeter around a nearby golf course and conducted further inquiries.
Following an extensive search, a 30-year-old man and 20-year-old woman were arrested in bushland before being taken to Belmont Police Station.
The man was charged with 35 offences
- Nine counts of shoplifting
- Five counts of drive motor vehicle during disqualification period
- Four counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception
- Three counts of goods in personal custody suspected being stolen
- Three counts of drive conveyance taken without consent of owner
- Three counts of break and enter house etc steal
- Two counts of destroy etc property in company use fire etc
- Two counts of be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner
- Receive property-theft=serious indictable offence
- Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner
- Destroy or damage property, and
- Larceny.
The woman was charged with seven offences
- Two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception
- Break and enter house etc steal
- Destroy or damage property
- Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner
- Damage property by fire, and
- Larceny.
Both were refused bail to appear before Belmont Local Court today (Wednesday 27 March 2024).
