Uni student’s packed car torched in suspected arson attack at Brompton
A uni student’s fresh start went up in flames when her packed car was torched in a random arson attack in Adelaide’s inner north — now she’s left picking up the pieces.
Police & Courts
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Tiana Bonney had barely unpacked a box when her life was thrown into chaos.
Just hours after moving out of home and into a new share house with mates, the 22-year-old uni student was targeted in a seemingly random arson attack that destroyed her car – and everything she still had packed inside it.
It was the early hours of Wednesday, May 28. Tiana was asleep when her phone rang at 4.30am. She missed the calls. Outside, her six-year-old car was going up in flames on quiet West St, Brompton.
“When I walked outside to my car I saw, in horror, that it had been completely burned to a crisp, to rubble,” she said.
“In shock, I was stunned, paralysed. I didn’t know what was happening, why it happened, or who would do such a violent thing to someone. In that moment, I felt like a part of my life had been stolen and violated.”
Police say the fire is being treated as an alleged arson attack. The investigation is ongoing, but no one has been arrested or reported.
Tiana said the car was fully loaded with items she hadn’t brought into the house yet, from essential gear to sentimental treasures.
She lost her $700 set of powerlifting equipment, a Polaroid camera with family snaps of her niece and nephew, two pairs of prescription glasses, and 12 weeks’ worth of handwritten study notes she’d made for uni exams.
She also lost the car she’d owned since she was a teenager — her main way of getting to work, uni and training.
To make things worse, her insurance payout will only cover about a quarter of what she’s lost.
Tiana has now launched a fundraiser to try and recover from the financial blow.
“I’m not usually someone who asks for help, but this has left me emotionally and financially overwhelmed,” she said.
“Every little bit helps me begin to replace what was lost and move forward from this awful experience.”
Police are urging anyone with information or CCTV from the area to come forward.
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