An Orange family has had two vehicles stolen and burned in two months – including one on the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Virginia Green said she was ‘gutted’ as she stood in Cootes Park, Glenroi, on Sunday, looking at the wreckage of her Mazda.
Central West Police District Inspector Shane Jessep said the car was stolen from a house in Margaret Street around 2am on Sunday.
He said police had been in the Cootes Park area for a separate matter from 2.35am when they received a report a car was on fire.
“They found the car alight before it had been reported stolen,” he said.
You think ‘it won’t happen to me, it won’t happen to me’, and then it does happen.
- Virginia Green
Police broke the news to Ms Green at 3.45am on Sunday. It was the fifth time this month and the third this weekend they have found burned-out vehicles.
Police also found a silver Holden Cruze, which had been stolen from Moad Street about 10am on Friday night, well alight near Spring Street at 1am on Saturday.
Ms Green said it was the second time her family has had a vehicle stolen and torched from their Margaret Street home of 13 years in a month, with a tractor burned out four weeks ago.
The house – which she lives in with her brothers – has been occupied by the Greens for 13 years, but for the first time Ms Green is questioning the safety of the area.
“From what I believe it was always a safe, quiet street,” she said.
“A lot of elderly people used to live along it but it only seems this past year it’s increased.
“My neighbour, he’s been broken into and installed security cameras and a security fence which makes the area look a bit scarier.”
She said it was “debilitating”, and a slap in the face to how hard she’d worked since finishing her degree in January.
“That was my first real nice car that I’d brought and I know it’s materialistic in saying that, but the sentimental value of the car was something I was working towards,” she said.
“Why do you get these nice things or buy these nice things when people come and destroy it?”
Ms Green said gone were the days when the barking of their dog – a staffy cross mastiff – was enough to deter would-be criminals, and they were considering installing more security.
“I’m starting to question a lot of things, it’s not as safe an area as I thought it was,” she said.
“A lot more of the town is getting a lot more security, when I was a kid you could ride your bike around town, kids could just be kids but now it seems that everyone has an attitude problem and they’re seeing it’s a bit of fun to destroy other people’s lives.
Ms Green said she was at a loss as to how Orange could overcome the problem of rising crime rates.
While she won’t “become a hermit”, she feels more cautious around the city.
“You think ‘it won’t happen to me, it won’t happen to me’, and then it does happen,” Ms Green said.
Anyone with information should contact Central West Police District on 6363 6399 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...