By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A UTE theft victim turned sleuth when he staked out a suspect vehicle and restrained a man in a dramatic citizen’s arrest while trying to track down his stolen ute.
The arrest led police to raid a property in The Fairway, Hampton Park, at 10.30pm on Friday 8 May where they seized two stolen cars – including the ute and a Nissan 180SX – and $30,000 worth of power tools, $20,000 worth of electrical equipment, a quantity of ice and marijuana, and a sawn-off shotgun.
Yaz Ejupovic went on the hunt after his HSV Maloo and $6500 worth of tools were stolen from the driveway of his Keysborough home while he ducked inside for his forgotten apple at 6.15am on the same Friday.
After an initially fruitless search of the neighbourhood with his older brother, the 29-year-old noticed a suspicious-looking vehicle parked on the wrong side of the road in a nearby street.
When he investigated the vehicle, the out-of-work electrician found the car’s keys on the top of the wheel and then discovered items inside which aroused his suspicions. When a man eventually returned to the car Mr Ejupovic approached and showed him the keys.
He alleged the man reached for a screwdriver.
Mr Ejupovic and his brother were able to restrain the man until police arrived.
“Honestly, to tell you the truth, I was more angry then anything,” Mr Ejupovic said.
“I was using the car for work. It’s not my car, it’s my father’s car and I borrowed it and loaded it up.
“I was made redundant last year, financially I didn’t have much savings, and I’d just got back on my feet and then this happened.
“I was just furious.”
Mr Ejupovic said he had been left unable to work because while the $27,000 ute and tools would eventually be returned to him, he didn’t know when because they were needed as evidence, and he was also unsure how much of the car’s damage would be covered by insurance.
“I can’t work because literally every tool I own is in that car, something as simple as pliers are in that car.
“It’s stuffed me up pretty bad,” he said.
Two men and one woman have been charged with theft of motor car, drugs and firearms offences.
