Happy ending for Utakarra resident despite her ordeal
A Geraldton grandmother endured a tumultuous 36 hours.
Terri Holland’s Utakarra home was burgled on Wednesday and her handbag, which contained keys, phone and wallet, stolen.
She suspects the offender/s entered through the open garage and then an internal door which leads to the house while she and her husband were sitting outside under the patio.
They had all the locks changed, but the keys for her near-new Ford Kuga (car is 12 months old) had to be specially ordered so she locked the car away in the garage knowing she was departing for Perth on Friday for her grandchild’s first birthday party.
The car was packed with gifts for all her grandchildren when the offender/s allegedly broke a roller door in the early hours of Friday morning, crawled into the garage and used the stolen keys to take possession of the vehicle.
It was the manual pull on the electric roller door which jolted Ms Holland awake about 4.20am.
Luckily for Ms Holland, the red Ford Kuga was recovered by Geraldton police in the driveway of a home in Howes Street, Rangeway just five hours later.
“I was very relieved to receive the call from police, it wasn’t the outcome I was expecting,” she said.
The car was allegedly used as a getaway vehicle in an attempted burglary at Wandina shortly after it was stolen.
Two youths were taken into custody by Geraldton police on Friday morning.
Acting Senior Sergeant Jayd Morawski said police were investigating whether the vehicle was used in the commission of any other offences.
He said forensics were on the scene almost immediately to maximise the opportunity to find DNA and dust for fingerprints.
He said the immediate action of police and forensics achieved an outstanding result.
“It is another instance that should cement in the community the efforts of local police,” he said.
The presents for Ms Holland’s grandchildren had been thoughtlessly thrown out of the boot of the vehicle by the alleged offenders, and a passing motorist found them lying in the middle of the road in Highbury Street, Rangeway about 6.30am.
The good Samaritan posted a comment on ‘Buy and Sell — Geraldton and Mid West’ and through the power of social media returned the gifts to their rightful owner.
