Condiment bandit vandalises Mount Tarcoola home with mustard, mayonnaise, dog food and scone mix

A family have been left confused after a vandal defaced their Mount Tarcoola home and vehicles using an array of condiments and pantry goods. Karen Sheppard and her daughter were awake when an unknown female came through their front gate around 11.30pm on Sunday, May 14, and spread white powder across their security screen and veranda. “I heard something, but I just thought it was my daughter putting her car away, then she came thundering down the hallway and I realised that wasn’t the case,” said Ms Sheppard. Their smart doorbell notified them that someone was on the property, and they were able to check the camera from their phones to see the woman scattering the powder. The woman was taking pictures of the Nissan X-Trail on the property and walked away when the homeowners opened the front door. She got into a white car with a female driver and drove away. The May 14 incident was captured on the family’s CCTV footage with the help of their motion sensor lights, which did not deter the vandal, she is seen looking for security cameras but failed to notice the hidden camera doorbell. “I’m amazed at how bold she was,” said Ms Sheppard. The two called the police and were told to stay inside and not touch the white powder, for fear it may be anthrax. The two women went out the back door and inspected their yard to discover the three cars had been covered in mustard, mayonnaise and dog food. “I have a good sense of smell and I just knew, ‘that’s mustard’,” said Ms Sheppard. The condiment bandit had left the packaging for scone mix on their neighbours lawn, putting their minds at ease about the white powder. The police arrived shortly later and were perplexed as to the nature of the incident, unsure how to categorise their police report. “We were annoyed because mayo has egg in it, and that can damage the paintwork,” said Mrs Sheppard, who found good humour in the incident. Her daughter was left to hose off her car at 2am in her dressing gown.