'Most blatant': thieves trash driver's SUV, return it, and steal second car from driveway

In what may be one of the most brazen home burglaries in recent memory, a 63-year-old Queanbeyan woman was left bewildered after thieves allegedly broke into her home, stole the keys to all three of her family's vehicles, and swapped one stolen car for another. Subscribe now for unlimited access. Save $100 + Bonus Tote All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All other in your area Queanbeyan resident Carolyn Paris, 63, was forced to spend over $800 to change car locks over fears the burglars could return for a third time. Picture by Keegan Carroll After driving off in Carolyn Paris's SUV, the intruders returned the trashed vehicle to her street only to allegedly drive off in the family's second car. The shaken victim has since placed a steering wheel lock on her third vehicle, as the burglars are still in possession of the keys. The incident unfolded on the evening of September 1, 2026, when Ms Paris went to bed early after feeling under the weather. She woke up the following morning to discover the keys to all three of the family's cars were missing from the dining table. "I came out to find my [Mitsubishi] Pajero parked on the road with the wheels completely muddy," Ms Paris recalled. It was only when she looked over at her driveway that the full picture began to emerge. "My Subaru was missing," the retired public servant said. "It is most blatant. They returned the car, locked it, and took the keys before taking the second one." The 2007 model Subaru allegedly stolen from the Queanbeyan home on September 2. Picture supplied Grainy CCTV footage captured from a neighbour's house in the early hours of September 2 appears to show two individuals parking what looks like Ms Paris's SUV. The figures can then be seen pushing the family's silver Subaru Forester off the driveway and onto the road before driving away. "There was a hammer in the passenger seat of the Pajero, and my trolley from the boot was missing. It's very perplexing what they were up to," she said. Ms Paris promptly rang the police. "Officers from Queanbeyan Police Station were here in 10 minutes and carried out forensic examinations. They were amazing." Ms Paris was alerted on Saturday night by a local resident who spotted the former's car in the latter's parking spot. Police investigation is ongoing. Picture by Keegan Carroll Fearing the offenders might return for the third car, Ms Paris was forced to shell out more than $800 to replace the locks across her vehicles and to fix damage to her SUV. In the days following the break-in, she and her partner repeatedly drove around Queanbeyan and parts of Canberra hoping to locate their missing 2007 Subaru Forester. Their surprise break came on Saturday night when a resident contacted Ms Paris to report that a matching Subaru was parked at a unit complex on Broughton Place in Queanbeyan. "She sent me a photo of the rego to confirm. I rang the police and they confirmed at about 3am that they had towed the car away," Ms Paris said. Police investigations into the break-in and car thefts are ongoing. More from Court and Crime Be the first to know when news breaks. Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarGuide, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. Get the latest property and development news here. Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Stay in the know on news that matters to you with twice weekly newsletters from The Senior. As it happens Subscriber Only Get the very best journalism from The Canberra Times by signing up to our special reports. The latest news, results & expert analysis. Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. We've selected the best reading for your weekend.