LOXLEY, Ala. — Last month, Peter Turner bought a 1999 Honda Accord for his stepson. It ran well, but needed some work, which could be fixed when Turner’s sons came from Australia to visit and work on the car and do some other projects Turner had in mind.

Turner moved the vehicle to property he and his wife, Cynthia, have on Fox Branch Road in Loxley. The Turners live elsewhere in Loxley, and have owned the Fox Branch property for a little more than six months.

Scratch working on the car. Maybe “scratch” is a bad choice of words.

According to Turner, “The car was only here three days when they trashed it.”

Whoever vandalized the little car did a thorough job. The windows were smashed, tires slashed, upholstery was gouged out, and the engine, Turner says, was ruined. Turner says the car was worth about $1,500.

The mirrors were smashed, and the vandals even carved their “tag,” possibly “DX,” “IVP” or “DVP” into the paint of the now-ruined car.

To add insult to injury, Turner says the vandals returned the next day to smash the lights on the car.

“It’s only worth scrap now,” said Turner.

This is not the first time that the Turners’ property on Fox Branch Road has been attacked.

Turner says two reels of nylon rope of a type only available in Australia that Turner used in rescue work is gone.

In a letter Turner says he passed out to his Fox Branch neighbors, “in the past 6 months, our shed has been broken into 6 times, windows smashed, locks broken doors pulled out of the wall and our water pump from the well has been stolen and the pipe work around it destroyed.”

Losing the water pump has been a blow to the Turner’s plans to build a home on the three-acre tract.

“The property has electricity and a septic tank,” said Turner. “We could have a nice house here.”

In fact, Turner says he envisions a three-bedroom house with a trailer home in the back for out-of-town guests. He wants a small bass pond inside the arc of the existing driveway that he can view from a side deck. He hopes to put the home on one acre and leave the other two acres “wild.”

That’s now on hold - repairing the vandalism is taking all of the Turners’ spare cash.

It’s a frustrating situation.

Lieutenant Raymond Lovell of the Loxley Police Department confirmed that Turner has filed two complaints about the situation

It’s been a great introduction to America.

“I’m from the Gold Coast —Queensland,” said Turner. “I had a recycling business there.”

However, Turner packed up and left Australia when he met Cynthia. He has established a recycling business here.

Talking to Turner, it’s obvious that he’s had several careers in Australia, ranging from being a detective in New South Wales to a rescue boat captain to a recycler.

He has a great story to tell about helping an older lady across the street.

“I was directing traffic (at a busy intersection),” said Turner.

The traffic pattern, Turner explained, was complex, with several officers directing traffic around the area. Turner’s job was to coordinate the traffic with a signal light down the road so the cars did not back up. It was a hot job, and the heavy uniforms worn in those days did not help.

Turner says that one older lady heading to a medical office was a regular. She also couldn’t make it across the intersection quickly.

“I would be helping her along, gesturing to the cars to come after me,” said Turner, smiling at the memory.

One day, the lady surprised him.

“I got her across the intersection, and then when I turned around, there she was with an ice cream cone.”

The lady made it clear that she was not gong to budge until she saw the nice officer enjoy his cone, Turner says. So, he “tucked the lady up behind” him so she’d be as safe as possible and kept directing traffic, ice cream cone in hand.

He almost got away with it.

“I heard an ‘Oy,’” said Turner, adding that he turned just in time, lady behind him, to give a passing press photographer a nice shot.

The photo wound up on the front page of the local paper. Turner took a fair amount of flack from his superiors.

“The next week, the lady asked me if I saw our photo,” chuckled Turner. “She was delighted. I told her in no uncertain terms, not to do that again.”

That’s why Turner understands why Loxley police have had a hard time apprehending the vandals.

He does have his suspicions, based on what he’s been told about the area.

“I think a group of teens is responsible,” said Turner. While he is quick to say he has no proof, he added that the young people have been seen in the area.

“I think they have been using (this property) as a meeting place,” Turner said.

Seeing the property cleared has warned the group that their days of using the land as a gathering place, and perhaps a place to ride ATVs are numbered, Turner believes.

“I think their noses are out of joint,” said Turner.

Out of joint or not, the vandals have been draining the Turners’ finances, and he has offered a reward for information leading to their arrest.

Lovell said the situation is “under investigation.”