'Low lives': Town devastated by fire targeted by looters
A small town devastated by bushfires in Victoria’s southwest has been targeted by heartless looters.
The thieves hit the Latte on High cafe during the middle of an emergency and stole hundreds of dollars from the till.
Bev Carroll, who’s owned the coffee shop for a decade, said it’s the first time she’s been robbed and came as the fire was bearing down on her town.
“It was just a mess, everything was sort of everywhere, back doors were broken,” Ms Carroll said.
“I was lucky they didn't go in the shop and trash the shop, because that would have been drastic.
“They are low lives, I could say lot more, but I'll just call them that at the moment.”
The thieves smashed their way through a timber door at the rear of the shop and stole money from the till and charity donation tins.
Police are investigating although the thieves wore gloves and shoe protectors to leave little evidence behind.
The act has left residents disgusted.
“It's an unimaginable thing to do in the middle of the fires,” one resident said.
Twenty minutes away sheep farmer Angus McGillivery’s property in Garvoc is unrecognisable following the blaze. He had 1000 stock but only 60 survived.
Adding to his anguish he couldn’t afford insurance.
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“We are really grateful we've got our lives, there wasn't time to stay and let the front go by and defend the house,” he said.
“We would have been cooked alive if we'd been in bed.”
Mr McGillivery family, including his wife and five children, drove through flames to escape the fire.
His wife’s also battling a brain tumour and doesn’t want to return to the property.
Mr McGillivery hasn’t ruled that out but said the family will need time to make a decision.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family.
