Home Invasion Victims Issued $4,400 Fine After Thief Is Caught Not Wearing a Seatbelt in Their Car
A couple had their SUV stolen in a home invasion last month. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, the authorities mailed them a $4,400 fine because traffic cameras later caught the alleged thief not wearing a seatbelt in their car.
The couple, named Leila and Hamid, were asleep when a group of masked thieves broke into their home on the Gold Coast in Australia one recent night. The thieves ransacked the house, taking valuables, then made their getaway in the couple’s Lexus SUV.
“They already had Leila’s car key when they tried to come into the bedroom to get the keys to the other cars,” Hamid told Today. “On the way, they took other random things like a vacuum, gym bag, some shoes, and I think they bumped the door when they were going through the bedroom.”
Hearing the bump, he rose from bed and chased after the thieves, but they escaped from the house. However, after he called the police, the thieves came back to the home and took their SUV.
“Obviously, the family was very affected, just crying, and that’s when they came back,” he continued. “They came back with no fear and just took the car, finished the job.”
Cameras caught the thief not wearing a seatbelt, but not the actual thief
Bizarrely, it has now been three weeks since the home invasion, and Hamid says “the police still haven’t arrived” to conduct an investigation. Bonus: the couple received a traffic ticket because “Mr. Bad Guy wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.”
The traffic ticket they received is more than a mere nuisance, too. The seatbelt fine is $6,258 AUD (about $4,400 USD). They have until March 3 to pay it.
“They have cameras all along the highways on the Gold Coast,” Hamid said. “How is it the cameras can get us with a fine, but they can’t capture the rego and stop the thieves driving the car?”
Good question.
