Noble Park RSL manager Mark Wilkinson hopes to retrieve charity money which was stolen last week. 38619
By Lia Bichel
THE manager of the Noble Park RSL is calling on residents to be ‘honest’ in an effort to retrieve charity money which was stolen in a daytime burglary on Friday.
Police said about 2.30pm a safe was stolen from the RSL.
Manager Mark Wilkinson said he was heartbroken about the situation and shocked by how quickly it occurred.
“The secretary was moving offices so, as she was moving, the man walked into the office with a trolley and removed the safe which was bolted into the cabinet,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“It all happened within a minute.”
The safe contained about $4500, Mr Wilkinson said, most of which was donated for Cancer Council Australia charity Relay for Life.
Some of the cash was returned to the RSL after police were notified of an erratic driver in the Springvale South area after the burglary on Friday.
Police said upon arriving on the scene, they found a vehicle that matched the description of a car involved in the RSL burglary.
They chased the driver on foot through residential properties in Athol Rd and Corrigan Rd for around 20 minutes until they arrested a 28-year-old man.
Police said it appeared that some cash, allegedly from the burglary, fell out of the man’s pockets during the pursuit.
Mr Wilkinson said he hoped people who found cash in the Clayton Court area would “be honest” and hand it in to the Springvale Police Station.
Failure to hand in found monies to local police could result in ‘theft by finding’ charges.
A Frankston man has been charged with burglary, theft of and from a motor car, proceeds of crime and other traffic matters.
