A brazen car theft has been carried out despite the owner standing right next to the vehicle with his back turned at the time.
The terrifying robbery was caught on camera, and has been shared by a Melbourne business owner fed up with the crime wave sweeping his city.
CCTV footage shows the owner of a white Hyundai 4WD step out of his car to lock the gates of a business just before the thief struck.
A brazen car theft has been carried out despite the owner standing right next to the vehicle with his back turned at the time
As the man locks the security gates of the factory in Campbellfield a white station wagon stops next to him.
A man jumps out, gets into the driver’s seat and takes off with the owner racing after him yelling ‘Oi, stop!’
The owner of the factory, Michael Mahoney, said he does not believe the theft was planned, but said the area is plagued by crime in general.
‘What happened to us is not a one-off,’ he told 3AW.
The terrifying robbery was caught on camera, and has been shared by a Melbourne business owner fed up with the crime wave sweeping his city
Mr Mahoney said courier drivers and even Australia Post workers had told him of similar thefts, raids on postal vehicles, and items stolen from inside cars.
He said he and the car’s owner called Triple Zero but received no response back, and called Broadmeadows Police Station to make a formal complaint hours later.
‘I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life and I am absolutely disappointed with what I’m seeing around Melbourne with all the other issues,’ Mr Mahoney said.
The owner has been rocked by the incident, which has left all of Mr Mahoney’s staff members feeling shocked and unsafe.
‘You can’t even hop in your car without having to have security guards around, is it really getting to that stage in Melbourne, it’s ridiculous,’ he said.
The man’s car is a Hyundai IX5, registration ZLQ939, and anyone who sees the car is urged to call Crimestoppers.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Victoria Police for comment.
CCTV footage shows the owner of a white Hyundai 4WD step out of his car to lock the gates of a business just before the thief struck