THIEVES SHATTER CAR YARD FENCE
A TOWNSVILLE business, coowned by councillor Margie Ryder, has fallen victim to thieves in a wild late- night smash and grab.
Rydweld, a car accessory manufacturer, had a brand new Toyota Landcruiser stolen on Friday night, with the criminals smashing their way through a thick steel fence to make their escape.
The sneaky thieves are thought to have bent the top of a wire fence and snuck under some barbed wire to get into the Mount St John yard. They then went straight to the car and drove into the fence, smashing their way out.
Cr Ryder said it seemed like the people knew what they were looking for and stole a car that was fully decked out and ready to be picked up this morning.
“The boys came in to work about 6am on Saturday and saw the gate had been busted open … we’ve worked out it was some time Friday night between nine and 10,” Cr Ryder said.
“When they backed out, they just ran into other cars trying to get it out. They took the only one that was com- pletely finished. All the rest have still work to be done.
“It was brand new, turned up last week. We put on the tray, the bullbar and side rails, there were no plates on it.
“The gut feeling is that they knew what they were looking for. They had looked around in the lead- up to Friday.”
It’s the second time in under two years Rydweld has been hit by thieves with criminals breaking into their shop and pulling a car apart and attaching the stolen parts to their own vehicle.
“We spent a lot of money last year on upping our security after we were robbed last time,” Cr Ryder said. “It’s just wrong that we have to worry about our property being targeted like this. It’s just wrong. “It just makes you angry. “Now we have to make up for this and the people who’ve done it, they don’t care.
“When you lock up your gate and fences, someone has still come in and smashed their way through it.
“These people have no self- worth and don’t care about anyone else.”
Police investigations into the theft are ongoing.
If you have any information that can help, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.