Matt Roy, a senior at Western Carolina University woke up Monday morning, January 24, to find himself without his car.
Roy’s red Jeep Wrangler that was parked in the lot beside building 79 at Catamount Peak Apartments was not there when he woke up on Monday. Roy said he had a clear view of the parking lot from his window and the car was still there when he went to bed around 1:30 a.m. The Jeep was stolen between 2 and 7 a.m.
“Waking up and realizing my car had been stolen was definitely the last thing I would ever expect to happen. I still can’t believe it,” said Roy.
Residents of the Peaks are also upset.
“I still can’t believe this happened here. I always felt fine about leaving my car unlocked and sometimes even my apartment before this happened. I will definitely start locking everything,” said Shannon Lockamy.
Catamount Peak Apartments, under new management, have made a recent attempt to increase security around the complex. The apartments now have outdoor cameras and are patrolled by special police. However, the cameras were not recording and the special police saw nothing.
“The security cameras and special police were obviously put in place only to keep residents from partying. The real reason should be to keep us, as well as our belongings safe,” said Mercede Bierwiler a resident at Catamount Peak Apartments.
The management at the Peaks was not available for comment on the case.
“Had the security personnel and cameras performed the way they should my car might not have been stolen or could be more easily found,” said Roy.
Roy has reported the crime to local police but has been unable to find any evidence or leads on the case.
