Home break in just to get car keys, says irate owner

Donna Gibb is shocked and angry about the theft but relieved her daughter was unharmed. Photo / Dean Purcell

Thieves broke into an Auckland home while the owners were sleeping - just to get to the car keys so they could steal a VW Golf parked outside.

Donna Gibb, Rob MacLennan, and their 3-year-old daughter, Ashlee, were asleep at 5.50am on Saturday when burglars broke a back door lock of their Westmere home.

Ms Gibb, a Telecom project manager, was woken by a noise and as she got up to investigate she heard her distinctive "red rocket" VW Golf R32 being driven away.

"It just took too long for me to really understand what was happening."

The 35-year-old said the family had parked their only car on the street every night for the past 3 years and had never had trouble before.

"Apparently they have been stealing Audis and Golfs and Minis and stuff like that and they've all got immobilisers so to try and break into them and steal them the old-fashioned way is quite difficult.

"So obviously these guys have worked out to just go and get the keys," Ms Gibb said.

Police found the insured $38,000 car with significant suspension damage. "They've obviously just taken it for a joyride and either run into something or run over something pretty hard."

A self-confessed "car chick", Ms Gibb said she was shocked and angry about the theft but relieved her daughter was unharmed and the burglars left quickly without incident.

"I was disturbed to think that somebody was in the house while we were sleeping, particularly when you've got a small child. But it seems like they were purely here just to get the car.

"They took Rob's wallet but that was only because it was sitting on the bench."

The couple spent the weekend organising new locks and beefing up their home alarm so it is monitored.

Ms Gibb said they would turn areas of the alarm on at night now and she would be more cautious about being home by herself.

She spoke out to warn other home and car owners.

"Make sure you take your keys with you all the time or put them in a safe somewhere. I don't want this to happen to anyone else."

Police said it was difficult to know why Ms Gibb's car was targeted.