“It feels like you have been raped.”
This is the way Mignon Shillingford said she felt after her family’s white Nissan Sentra car was stolen underneath their Morne Daniel home while they slept.
The incident took place between Saturday (February 28) night and Sunday morning (March 1).
The car was found stripped and burnt in a small room at the now abandoned Layou River Hotel on the afternoon of Tuesday March 3, 2015.
“Obviously they may have been watching you, you don’t feel safe anymore. Now from the time that happen, anytime you hear a little noise under the house, you thinking somebody is there,” Shillingford told Dominica News Online of her experience after the theft.
Shillingford’s experience is part of what appears to be a growing trend in Dominica: the stealing of cars.
There have been 10 reported cases of car theft, or what is formally described as “taking conveyance of motor vehicles,” on the island between the period of January 4 to February 28, according to the police.
“It is a cause for concern,” police PRO, Assistant Superintendent, Claude Weekes told DNO. “It looks like it’s getting commonplace now.”
Weekes said the issue is “spread across” the island.
Shillingford remembers the night their car was stolen.
She stated that she heard dogs barking but when she investigated, she realized neighbors were still up and about and several vehicles and people were seen in the area.
The barking of the dogs was dismissed.
The next day Shillingford went downstairs and realized the car was gone.
Baffled she wondered whether her husband had forgotten that she wanted to use the vehicle to run some errands and he had driven it to work.
But after calling her husband, the grim reality became apparent: the car was stolen.
He husband immediately told her to call the police.
Shillingford said the realization of being a victim of theft had a devastating impact on her.
“It had a lot of feelings, it had disbelief, it had hurt, it had anger,” she stated. “But the last one is we believe that God is in control and whatever a man reap he will sow.”
She stated when the car was found, it was stripped of its engine and other parts but there were telltale signs on it that only the owner would recognize.
Although she had mixed feelings about the car being found, since she still owes the bank, Shillingford said it brought a sense of closure.
Here are some general rules to prevent your car from being stolen:
-Keep your vehicle locked at all times, even while driving.
-When parked, never leave your keys in the car. Close all the windows and the sunroof.
-Never leave your car running and unattended.
-Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where passersby can see them.
-Install an anti-theft system in your vehicle if it doesn’t have one. Thieves are reluctant to steal vehicles if they know the cars can be recovered quickly.
-Thieves prefer to work in the dark. Be particularly cautious at night about where you park your car. Park it in a well-lit area if possible.
-Keep spare keys somewhere else.
Too much crime is getting to be commonplace.
The ‘general rules to prevent car theft” don’t work. These car thieves are very smart. They don’t need a key to steal your car. If they want it, they can break a window if necessary (or get in through a crack in the window). They can start it with a screw driver or a similar key. Put your dog inside it at night. That might be a deterrent.
If you have an auto alarm, you need to be not too far away since some of them are very sensitive and go off all the time for no good reason.
I feel bad for the people whose vehicles have been stolen by low life thieves who refuse to lift a finger to do an honest days work. Those who buy parts from people who they know are not dealers should be ashamed of themselves. However I have a few suggestions. (1) If possible fence your property. I am not asking you to use old galvanize sheeting at all. Do a decent job. (2) Get yourselves some guard dogs (3) Arm yourselves. As long as all your family is accounted for and you are not expecting, relatives, neighbours or friends shoot first, shoot to kill and ask questions later. (4) Form neighbourhood watches. Let’s start looking out for each other again. Let’s get to know our neighbours. No more it’s not my business or I don’t deal with those kind of people. Remember the same thing that is affecting me today can and will affect you or some members of your family in some way tomorrow. Thieves have no morals. Those of us who see and know and pretend otherwise, be warned.
And them police need to check them fellas vehicles to. Some old corolla with brand new head lights and other ppl parts on their vehicle. Them police making them fellas get off to easily.
And the coward on the move running still. The law aself still let them fellas of on a small bail. So they will try it again. But somebody will kill one. I just pray to God it’s not me.
Car theft was an almost unheard of crime until some time last year….wat is goin on????? Leaving.keyes in vehicles or leaving them unlocked was the norm…. the general thinking was who would steal a car in small dominica?? nowhere to hide it…. but apparently its theft for parts!
Yes,Sorry to say that Theft,Drugs,and Corruption are giving the island a bad reputation.Now have to be on the alert at all times.
obviously this woman has no idea what it feels like to be raped. you mad. having your car stolen feels like you have been raped. lady ask a person who has been raped and they will tell you, they would prefer to have their car stolen over and over instead. or maybe this car meant too much to you.
This is how the lady feels. U ppl stray from the story. U all are always quick to post something negative. Let my sister story move. And I can assure u that this was the last vehicle they stole in Dominica
When somebody steals something of value from you, you take it very personally. That is what she is talking about. Now she still has to pay the bank for a car that is no more and it puts her a a great loss.
she was also referring to her sense of security being dampened becaus eit felt like someone was watching their family, houe and movements all the time.
Dan Tanner hmmm. i hope you know that worst things than these happens in the USA as well. The grass is never greener on the other side, sorry to say…..
But this is a serious felony crime (Grand Theft Auto) and the wording of the law should reflect it as such.
We began visiting Dominica in 1987, when the island was beautiful and much safer. We retired to Dominica in 2008 and lived there through 2014. We saw Dominica become more and more dangerous, more and more polluted, noisier and noisier, more and more racist aimed against Whites and Asians, and more and more stupid because of the influence of missionaries. We saw young people become warped under the influence of the crap they see and her on TV and the Internet. We watched the population become poorer and more desperate under the influence of both international business and local politicians we suspect of being thoroughly corrupt. Now that we have sold all we owned in Dominica and are safe and happy in the USA we can speak out.
You had me until de “safe and happy in the USA” part. #ThumbsDown for you!
lol you spamming every post now
if you are only now safe and happy , why did you move to Dominica and stayed so long in the first place ?safe ????? you are safe ??? when the USA is one of the most dangerous places to be at right now , most terrories org wants you all off the map so how do you feel safe ? we got our share of problems but you should be the last ones pointing it out like you all are better in no way
Safe and happy in the usa????? Lmfao… ebeh look it today dere…..
Padner I partially agree with you. Its growing pain. the key source of all problems in Dominica today is ignorance! young people expect a free ride, men and women alike. The crime a job situation is easily resolvable yet the government sit and wait for it to get worst. I can go on for days about whats wrong. Our women lost their self respect and integrity and that in itself is at the core of why our society is decaying! There are many things right though.
Dan Tanner – what did you expect from the Government of Dominica that you did not receive. Exclusive right to one of our many beaches? You sound like the fox crying sour grapes when he realised he could not access them.
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!! where is nosier and polluted a, have more theft and corruption than tan the USA? You speak of racism? Please, go think again. In this case Dominica was happy that you left
Well, well, what is going on in the Layou valley, the car was found very close to where the murdered body was found shot around two weeks ago?? Nobody has heard anything about the murder since it was scantily reported on Dominica News Online! If I were Sherlock Holmes I might put two and two together………………………………………..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
Very strange!
The country nice boy because the place start getting fast. Who’s next