A sea of floral tributes have been left at the entrance of the Redbank Plains shopping centre where a 70-year-old woman was allegedly fatally stabbed in front of her granddaughter.
The grandmother, named in media reports as Vyleen White, had been shopping with her six-year-old granddaughter at Redbank Plains west of Brisbane when she was allegedly stabbed in the centre’s car park on Saturday, February 3.
She succumbed to her injuries on-site, leaving her granddaughter unharmed but forever scarred by the traumatic event.
In the wake of this devastating loss, family friends initiated a GoFundMe campaign, garnering an overwhelming response with over $7,600 raised to date.
The funds aim not only to cover funeral expenses but also to highlight Ms. White’s enduring legacy within the community.
“They have lost a mother, grandmother, a wife and loved family member of their family,” the fundraiser page said.
“They are all so overwhelmed and so warm hearted by the community at such a difficult time.
“She was such a selfless woman – with so much care for her family and absolutely any one she came into contact with.
“She would hold prayers for anyone who needed them.
“This is what they want her to be remembered by and not defined by the act of someone else.”
Ipswich Mayor Theresa Harding said the attack was not the type of crime that would normally happen in the area.
“It’s really shocking for us as a community,” she told Seven’s Sunrise on Monday, February 5.
“It is a punch in the guts, it’s brought us to tears.”
In a significant development in the ongoing investigation, a 15-year-old Ripley boy voluntarily presented himself to Ipswich Police Station on Sunday, February 4. He was subsequently charged with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle linked to the alleged stolen car involved in the incident.
The teenager is set to appear at Ipswich Children’s Court on February 5. Detectives have released CCTV footage featuring four youths believed to be associated with the allegedly stolen Hyundai Getz, with the search ongoing for three of them.
Anyone with information for police can contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24 hours per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
-with AAP.