By Victoria Stone-Meadows
A YOUNG jockey from Cranbourne East has had her livelihood stolen in a terrifying home invasion on Sunday 23 October.
Jackie Beriman, 21, arrived at her Heather Grove home on Sunday night, about 10.30pm, shortly before turning in for the night.
She was awoken by her dogs barking loudly – about 5.20am the following morning – when she discovered the front door of her house was wide open.
Thinking she left it open herself after a long day, she didn’t think much of it until she finished getting ready for work and went into her garage.
It was then she discovered her white 2014 Lexus had been stolen from the garage with her personal items and many thousands of dollars worth of equestrian gear in the car.
“There was a heap of French saddles worth about $13,000 each and other race gear, $1000 cash in my purse, my bank cards and all my ID,” Ms Beriman said.
“Not to mention the car itself which is worth about $78,000, I’m just lucky it was insured.”
Police have confirmed the registration of the car is 1CC 7IS after an unconfirmed sighting of the Lexus in Berwick, about 4.30am Tuesday 25 October.
Ms Beriman said the whole ordeal was a huge shock and had affected her ability to feel safe in her own home.
“It’s really not nice I’ll tell you that and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemies,” she said.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night and I’m really shaken up – I’m still trying to wrap my head around what happened.”
“It is a very scary experience, knowing someone was in my house while I was asleep. It is very hard to come to terms with and I highly recommend to anyone to make sure their doors are locked.”
Ms Beriman had only moved to the Cranbourne East area recently after relocating from Mentone for more job opportunities in the horse racing industry.
“I was happy living here until now,” she said.
“I bought in Cranbourne East and moved here because the opportunities are a lot better but now I’ll be changing all my locks and it has changed the way I see the area.”
Detective Senior Constable Julia Doyle from Casey CIU said the thieves have stolen something that means a lot to Ms Beriman but not much to someone outside the racing industry.
“The equipment that was stolen is crucial to the victim and the work that she does,” Det Sen Const Doyle said.
“The equipment might not mean much to anyone else but the victim is understandably upset about the impact this is going to have on her career.”
Det Sen Const Doyle said the burglary was a reminder to everyone to make sure their valuable items and house were protected.
“It is a timely reminder to everyone to make sure your property is secure and to make sure valuable items are not left in your vehicle,” she said.
Anyone with any information about the burglary is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
