A UVic Master’s student is asking for the public to keep an eye out for her car that was stolen over the weekend.
Rachel Spanier’s new blue Hyundai Accent was taken from Chester Road Saturday night.
“I was in the process of moving from across town to this location, had been moving all day, finally had finished and parked my car, and then went to sleep,” said Spanier.
“I got a phone call at six a.m. it was my buzzer for my old apartment building, ad I just thought it was weird just turned the phone off and went back to sleep… didn’t think twice about it and then I get up and realize my car is gone.”
She thinks her keys fell during the move, and after filing a police report she had to get a ride to a final walk-through of her old place.
That’s when she made a startling connection after explaining what happened to building staff.
“They were able to review the records of the building entrance and it shows my fob being used to enter the building,” said Spanier.
“The building manager believes they called me to see if I was home, when I didn’t answer they went up to the apartment and used my keys to open that apartment, luckily it was completely empty because I was moving.”
She could not believe what happened.
“It’s a feeling of being violated. I was really angry and shocked, disbelief, for someone to steal my vehicle, go in my glove box, look at my insurance papers, drive to my apartment building, use my keys and go into my apartment, it is just disgusting.”
It’s an incident that has others at Gorge View Apartments on edge.
“Oh, I think she was horrified and I think she must have felt very violated… I always have it close to me, I think everybody should especially with that kind of stuff going on,” said resident Sara Jamieson.
It follows Victoria police warning the public that thefts from vehicles have shot up recently. Last week they reminded the public of the dangers.
“It’s a crime of opportunity… the biggest call we get it suspicious people just walking up the street just trying door handles… we want people to protect themselves and also if they see anything suspicious to call us,” said Const. Matt Rutherford from Victoria Police.
Luckily building staff have surveillance footage of the car, they noticed Spanier’s old expired Alberta licence plate on — which she kept inside as a keepsake before moving to Victoria.
Police are investigating the incident, but it’s a rough start to the school year for the student.
Anyone who sees the blue Hyundai Accent, with a Vancouver Island sticker on the back, and with the Alberta plate on the back and possibly the B.C. plate on the front is asked to contact police.
Julian Kolsut
