A family has suffered a vandal attack on their car only weeks after the vehicle and vital equipment for their severely disabled daughter were stolen.
Louise Frantzich said she was devastated when she awoke yesterday to find their Rover Streetwise had been covered in white paint in an overnight attack.
And the attack has left the family considering moving from their Baildon home in fear that they will become victims again.
“I don’t feel safe staying here,” said Mrs Frantzich, 28.
“They could come back at any time and while we’re living here, they know where we are.
“We don’t know what to do next. We’ve been targeted and I think you’ll always live in fear.
“If someone knows where you live and knows what your car looks like they can always come back at any time, especially when the police don’t know who’s done it this time.
“It’s really sad because it’s not like we’ve done anything to anyone.”
The same car was stolen on December 28 along with hundreds of pounds of equipment in it, which are used by the family’s two-year-old daughter, Audrey.
The tot cannot sit up, walk or talk due to a rare genetic condition. She is fed via a tube into her stomach, suffers reflux and spinal problems and has hearing aids in each ear and a cleft palate.
The stolen car was later found, but its contents, which included a special car seat, a buggy, a chair to help Audrey sit-up, an oxygen canister and camera full of family pictures, were not recovered.
Mrs Frantzich, of Midland Road, described her horror when she discovered the vandal attack on her car.
“I woke at about 7.30am to go and get Audrey up and looked out of the window. We’re always paranoid now about the car and so I always look outside to check it’s still there, I’m always anxious,” she said.
When she saw the vehicle had been vandalised she called for her husband, Herman.
She said: “The back window was covered, the roof and part of the front and side windows. It looks like they’ve just driven by and thrown a bucket in our general direction.
“I can’t really think of the words to describe how I felt, I was scared. I don’t know if we should move house now. I don’t feel safe at all.
“It’s not a bad area, we’re in a nice area in Baildon, we’ve got nice neighbours – you just wouldn’t expect things like this to happen.”
Following the Telegraph & Argus’ reporting of the car theft, several readers contacted the family offering to help replace the items stolen. A specialist buggy, to replace the one stolen, is due any day and with that hopes of returning to normality, but now Mrs Frantzich says she cannot relax.
“We were trying to just put it behind us and move on, then this happens,” she said. “I feel scared and my husband is angry.”
Mr and Mrs Frantzich and a friend spent hours yesterday cleaning the oil-based paint from the car.
Sergeant Dominic Kirkley, of the Shipley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We are appealing for anyone with information on this incident or anyone who might have seen anything suspicious in the Midland Road area of Baildon between 10pm on Thursday and 7am on Friday, to call us on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
- A man is due before Bradford Crown Court in relation to the car theft on Monday.
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