22-07-2025
Chrismas gifts ruined in ram-raid on children's chairity shop in Sale
A Victorian charity store full of donated Christmas gifts for foster children has been ram-raided before it had a chance to open.
At 1:30am on Tuesday an allegedly stolen car was reversed into the front window of the shop on Raymond Street in Sale.
The store is the new home of A Better Life for Foster Kids.
"The shop was there to do our Christmas presents for the kids in out-of-home care and now this has set us back at least a month," charity founder Heather Baird said.
"We had only just got the shop … we don't really need this at this time of year.
Ms Baird said the stock would have to be thrown out.
"We can't take the chance that there's any glass or slivers or anything, so that means we will have to disregard all of those things," she said.
Four Melbourne men aged between 20 and 22 were arrested this morning in Darnum, about 100 kilometres west of Sale.
Detective Sergeant Margaret Schulz said police did not believe it was a targeted incident.
Debbie Clancy, the owner of the Town Square Boutique next door, said the incident was concerning.
"I have never seen something like this happen here," she said.
"Unfortunately, it is a changing landscape in Australia — not just in this rural community, but all over."
Ms Clancy, who has owned her store for 24 years, said she had noticed a rise in crime on the street in the last year.
"Everyone is working hard to stop it — the locals, the police, but I really believe it comes back to the legal system," she said.
On Tuesday morning the Sale Business and Tourism Association held a meeting with Raymond Street business owners and police.
"There are a number of shops, not only on the main street but throughout Sale, that have had break-ins or things stolen," president Julian McIvor said.
Ms Baird is still coming to grips with the incident.
"At this stage I haven't really gotten anywhere, started with anything," she said.
"We didn't have insurance on the contents of the shop at this stage because it … was just all a little bit too quick."
Ms Baird hopes the community will help the charity get back on track.
"Just get behind us, support us," she said.
