Cars drive through malls in Australian burglaries

CANBERRA, Australia, March 31 (UPI) -- Australian police have released a pair of videos showing thieves crashing cars into shopping malls and driving around inside to break into jewelry stores.

The first video, shot early Monday at the Kippax Fair shopping center in Canberra, shows a white Subaru Liberty, which police said was previously reported stolen, crash through the glass doors of the mall and drive around inside before ramming the facade of a jewelry store to gain access.

Two suspects can be seen in the video getting out of the vehicle and smashing display cases to steal handfuls of jewelry.

Police said the incident is believed to be linked to a similar theft Tuesday morning at the Gungahlin Village mall. Video from the Tuesday heist shows a stolen silver Subaru Impreza crash into the shopping center and drive to the Diamond King Designs jewelry store, where the vehicle was again used to break through the facade.

"The vehicle has been driven into the arcade complex, driven into the front of a jewelry shop inside the center, and items stolen from the premises," police said in a statement. "After forcing entry to the jewelry store, the driver then drove out of the complex through a second set of doors on Gungahlin Place."

The second incident was witnessed by mall workers preparing to open their businesses. Colin Pick, who works at a bakery in the shopping center, told The Canberra Times said he heard "an incredible noise."

"It all happened in a bit over a minute, there was the huge screech of tires and I looked up and saw the car coming towards me," Pick said. "I thought I was going to get killed."