Geraldton man charged for allegedly breaking car antennas outside hospital

A 53-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage after he allegedly broke two car antennas and tried to jimmy open a couple of vehicles parked outside Geraldton Regional Hospital on Wednesday night.

Hospital staff allegedly saw a man acting suspiciously in the carpark about midnight, standing beside a Ford ute trying to force entry with a piece of wire.

Police were called to the scene minutes later and say they found the 53-year-old with a broken radio antenna in his hand.

A nearby car also had its antenna missing, but the man didn’t manage to get any car doors open, police said.

Geraldton police officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said car models made before 1996 were more vulnerable to burglars who used wire to get past locking mechanisms.

“We don’t see it as often now because a lot of cars have alarm systems,” he said.

The 53-year-old will appear before the Geraldton Magistrates Court.