Brittany Miller couldn't have anticipated a series of misfortunes awaiting her when she went to court on Aug. 23 for a custody litigation.
The single mom hoped the court appearance would allow her to relocate back home to Ontario to get some family support. The court denied her request to leave.
Less than 24 hours later, her blue 2006 Honda Civic was stolen from outside her home on Mowat Street in Oak Bay.
"I woke up on Saturday, Aug. 24, and my car was missing. It's gut-wrenching," said Miller.
On Sept. 9, Miller someone from Oceanside Detachment RCMP called to tell her they'd recovered her car in Parksville, 120 kilometres up Island. Oak Bay police said there have been 10 vehicle theft incidents in the district since 2022. This year, there have been two reported vehicle thefts, including Miller's.
Oceanside RCMP Const. Tim Kenning confirmed police a report documents the recovery of a stolen vehicle. The report said a woman was found living inside the vehicle. She was briefly held in custody and released the same day. Oceanside RCMP has submitted to the Crown a case for approval to charge her for possession of a stolen vehicle.
Oak Bay Deputy Chief Const. Kris Rice also confirmed the investigation of the initial case is still active.
"Vehicle theft in Oak Bay is taken very seriously by our department," Rice said. "We're happy to know the vehicle has been recovered and we're willing to support the owner of the stolen vehicle throughout the investigation."
Miller told the Oak Bay News her car is now at the ICBC salvage yard in line for a bio-hazard sweep, as well as an assessment to determine the extent of the damage, including the state of her belongings left inside the car.
"They have not given me a time frame when the assessment will be completed," Miller said.
"We are a very active family that loves the outdoors and we spend a ton of time camping, hiking and adventuring," she added. "The loss of our vehicle has greatly hindered us, as well as my ability to return to work for the school year, as I have to commute. All of our camping gear was in the trunk of the car, as well as a ton of my son’s toys, his car seat, backpack and school supplies."
The car's discovery has put her in an even more difficult situation, from being hopeful her car would be recovered intact, to possibly losing it completely due to damages.
Miller turned to the community for help and created a GoFundMe page hoping to raise funds to help keep her and five-year old son, Henry, afloat with monthly bills and groceries.
