A ute was the centre of a blaze on Butler Street at 11.45pm on Sunday night, January 14.
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Resident Shannon Horlyck woke to the sound of a car alarm, and what she initially thought sounded like gunshots.
“It must have been the car burning and popping,” she said. The single mother got up to discover the fire across the street, and immediately called emergency services.
“There’s old people in that area, so it was pretty frightening,” she said.
Ms Horlyck said she didn’t see the arsonist/s, but noticed the car door was open, as if someone had left it quickly.
The vehicle belonged to local Sam Baker, reportedly stolen from his Shirley Street home following a break and enter the previous day in which the car key was taken. The incident occurred between 7pm on Friday night and 1.30am Saturday.
“They ransacked the whole place, went through everything, and he lost $200 and the spare keys to his ute,” his father John Baker said.
“He was a little surprised when they came back the very next night and took the ute.”
Police confirmed that car keys were stolen from a home in a similar incident approximately two weeks previous.
“It feels like we’re living in Melbourne. It’s something that shouldn’t be allowed to continue to happen, that’s for sure,” Mr Baker said.
“I’m not surprised at all, I’m angry.”
The fire department attended the Butler Street scene and extinguished the fire, but the ute was destroyed.
Forensic specialists are examining the vehicle. Police currently have no suspects. Anyone with information is urged to call the Inverell Police Station on 6722 0599.