A frightened 22-year-old woman sent a distressful WhatsApp message for help after a masked gang invaded her family home and locked her in her bedroom before fleeing with a stolen Audi.

A family in Lozells, Birmingham, was robbed of their Audi A8, trainers, watches, and cash within an hour of leaving their home on Wednesday, November 22, at around 9:25 PM. As the burglars ransacked the house, they found that the 22-year-old daughter had been asleep in her bedroom. Panicking, they locked her up in her room when they discovered her.

She sent a message to the family’s WhatsApp group saying, “There’s burglars in the house.” When her family received the message, they rushed back home but were just seconds too late to stop the theft. The young woman and her mother are now too frightened to stay home alone.

“We probably missed them by five seconds, but there was contact when my uncle and cousins pulled up into the drive, the guy was reversing so it was just a matter of seconds,” said the woman’s 29-year-old brother, who owned the stolen car, trainers, and cash.

“If we had come earlier, we probably would have caught him in the car. But the speed he was driving out, it was like he was either going to run them over or damage their car as well.”

The family shared their CCTV footage to BirminghamLive, which showed two masked men running from a grey BMW X4 parked opposite the street. They then break through the front door with a tool before searching the house. Three minutes later, they run out – one darting into the stolen Audi and another fleeing in the original BMW. 

The brother suspected the same BMW X4 had been used in multiple burglaries in the area. He noted that there had been several burglaries in recent days, all involving a BMW X4 with the same licence plates. So far, he mentioned that there had been three to five burglaries in his area, which is shocking as they live on “a really, really safe road.”

Ongoing investigation

In response to the brother’s concerns, West Midlands Police have confirmed they are investigating the burglary. The stolen Audi A8 has been recovered, and the vehicle will be subjected to forensic analysis to identify the perpetrators. In addition, the police are exploring possible links between this incident and four other car key burglaries in Birmingham.

“It appears the burglar was working alongside an accomplice in a grey BMW which we’ve been able to establish was on false plates. We’re continuing our enquiries to trace the real identity of this car and who the driver was,” said a spokesperson from the force.

The force also said that preventing vehicle crime is one of their highest priorities, and they remain committed to taking action against those who commit these offences.

According to BirminghamLive, vehicle crime has been a persistent challenge for law enforcement in the West Midlands. In March 2023, WMP documented 3,312 cases of vehicle crime, equivalent to 113.6 incidents per 100,000 residents across the force’s jurisdiction. Meanwhile, data.police.uk showed that Birmingham recorded the most crimes with 1,368 vehicle crimes in March.

This burglary should remind everyone that living in a safe area is not a guarantee to be safe from crimes.

While CCTV and alarm systems play a crucial role in deterring burglars, they should be complemented by additional security measures, especially for those who live in high-value homes or possess valuables. 

It would also be prudent to consult security companies like Marengo to assess the property’s vulnerabilities, devise a customised security plan and even deploy guards for enhanced security should the necessity arise.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12819977/Terrified-woman-sends-five-word-WhatsApp-plea-masked-gang-home-invasion.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/daughters-chilling-five-word-text-31587083
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/residential-street-one-highest-car-27781798
https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/car-crime-birmingham-vehicle-break-ins-thefts-4156784