A Prebbleton homeowner discovered an obscene phrase on the outside wall of the house on Edward Law Boulevard in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"It’s very disrespectful," said the man who did not want to be named.
He said having something like that happen to his family home was distressing, particularly considering it was a new home that he and his partner only just moved into about three months ago.
"The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get with it," he said.
The man had been watching TV on Saturday morning when he heard some car doors slamming outside.
He looked out the window to see five people wearing surgical masks and hoodies, apparently breaking into a white Toyota belonging to a neighbour parked on the street.
The group quickly got into the Toyota and drove off when he turned on his outside light.
After getting dressed he went outside and found an allegedly stolen silver Mazda had been left on the street with its engine running.
There was broken glass on the road where the Toyota had been and the graffiti.
He called 111 and police arrived about an hour later.
They had the Mazda towed so they could examine it forensically. Police returned later in the day and told him they had CCTV footage of the offenders from a neighbour’s camera.
The man said he had not been surprised about the stolen cars due to a run of similar crimes in Prebbleton recently. But he was surprised the offenders had gone to the extent of spray-painting a home with graffiti.
He believed they may not have bothered if he had fences around his home or outdoor lighting on movement sensors.
He was now considering installing security cameras.
On Sunday, another car was found abandoned about 5.30am in the township.
A resident posted a photo of the car on Facebook in a park on William St.
The rear passenger window was smashed, its engine had been left running, the lights were left on and its windscreen wipers were still going.
It appeared the vehicle had become stuck as it was driven around the park.
Another resident reported their tenant’s car on Farthing Drive had been broken into on the same morning, with smashed beer bottles left at the scene.
The incidents follow a spate of vehicle break-ins and thefts in and around Prebbleton over recent weeks.
Last month about 10 vehicles were damaged in the township, with at least three broken into and one stolen.
