‘Killing us’: Alicia Montebello’s mother issued emotional plea
The mother of a 31-year-old who lost her life in a crash alongside three teens has lashed out over her daughter’s driving record.
The grieving mother of a woman who lost her life in a crash alongside three teenagers has begged for vandals to stop destroying her daughter’s tribute site.
Alicia Jade Montebello, 31, was one of the victims in the fatal accident that occurred on a remote road near Bochara in regional Victoria in the early hours of May 27.
The other victims were identified as Meghan Fox, 14, Joshua Elmes, 15, and Lucus Garzoli, 14.
Police are still investigating who was behind the wheel of the red Toyota Corolla when it collided with a tree.
In the aftermath of the accident, it emerged that Montebello had a history of driving offences, including drink driving, and was facing charges of stalking and breaching bail conditions.
Now, her mother Debbie has taken to a local Facebook group to make an emotional plea to the tight-knit community amid growing backlash.
“STOP STOP PLEASE – I am begging the people of Hamilton to stop trashing our daughter and sister’s memorial site. It’s killing us,” Ms Montebello wrote.
“We know you are all angry at Alicia. But please stop. We are grieving (and) hurting too.”
She shared an image of a plaque nailed to a tree at the crash site.
The plaque read: “In loving memory of Alicia Jade Montebello. Forever loved, you will always be missed. RIP love mum and dad.”
Ms Montebello said her youngest son still lived in the area and has been reporting back to the rest of the family about the damage.
“He goes out every day and talks to his sister. He phones us (and) video chats us here in (Adelaide) so we can be with him and comfort him,” Ms Montebello said.
“Tonight he noticed that our plaque we nailed to the tree has been ripped down. He is so upset and angry and devasted and in pain. For now, he is so upset.”
Ms Montebello said her son would be installing another plaque and asked the regional Victorian community to respect it.
“Im calling for peace,” she said.
“We all lost someone we love. Please.”
Montebello’s troubled past includes previous charges of stalking and causing damage with her car, as well as multiple breaches of bail conditions.
The Warrnambool Standard reported that the stalking charges were linked to incidents in which she allegedly stalked a teenage girl, whose mother believed she was being groomed.
Police sources told the local paper the girl’s mother had told them Ms Montebello wanted to have a sexual relationship with her young daughter, and those allegations were the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
In late March, Ms Montebello reportedly sent a teenage girl up to 30 text messages and attended her workplace.
She was charged with stalking and causing damage with her car — related to an incident at Branxholme Recreation Reserve in February — and bailed on the condition she not contact two teenage girls.
But the following month she was arrested and charged with bail breaches after allegedly twice being discovered in the company of the two girls, Warrnambool Standard reports
On April 14 she appeared in Warrnambool Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to one count of causing damage wilfully, two counts of stalking and four charges of breaching her bail conditions.
She was not convicted and fined $700.
Before she moved to Victoria, Ms Montebello was charged with driving an unregistered vehicle with excess blood alcohol in January 2015.
Her licence was disqualified for four months and 14 days, but in February the following year, she was charged with driving with a disqualified licence, and failing to display P-plates.
She was ordered to serve a 12 day prison sentence with no possibility of a parole period.
That sentence was then suspended and she received a further licence disqualification. Her vehicle was impounded on both occasions, and she was ordered to pay court costs.
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