Locals in the Queensland suburb of Pallara are being targeted by intruders and are so terrified they are barricading themselves inside their homes.
Incredible vision of one home break-in in Queensland shows intruders declaring they had a “search warrant” to the terrified occupants.
The shocking alleged home invasion took place in broad daylight at an address in Pallara, south of Brisbane, on Sunday.
READ MORE: Qantas promises to honour discount flights after $15k mistake
Vision of the break-in, exclusively obtained by 9News, reveals the latest in a spate of youth crime in the local area.
Queensland Police believe the pair were responsible for several other alleged break-ins on Sunday.
Police data shows rates of unlawful entry, car theft, trespassing and robbery are on the rise in the suburb of Pallara.
New video released by Queensland Police shows a man with a shot-gun demanding cash from a business at nearby Forest Lake on Saturday.
Locals are now banding together to form a crime watch group, with the 500-strong group of vigilantes conducting their own nightly patrols.
“We are on tenterhooks… we are on the edge and I honestly don’t know if there’s anyone who’s looking after us,” Tejinder Singh told 9News.
READ MORE: Charlise Mutten’s killer jailed for life over ‘shockingly callous crime’
Singh said his home was the target of an attempted break-in and he was threatened with a knife when the alleged criminals couldn’t get inside.
“I haven’t slept, I’m now ignoring work just to be able to focus here, it’s taking a toll on my mental health,” he said.
“I’ve got an eight-year-old who understands things are happening and he’s like, ‘Dad, what’s happening?'”
EXPLAINED: How Australia’s new ‘right to disconnect’ rules apply to you
Pallara woman Vika Vaka told 9News she was the victim of a home break-in when she was dropping her children off at school.
“I was broken into last Monday morning during my school drop-off,” she said.
Locals who were too distraught to speak on camera told 9News they are scared of being targeted again, with some even using wooden planks to barricade their front doors shut.
links to content on ABC
9News
