By Brendan Rees
A Cranbourne West tradie has been left without a livelihood after his van was stolen at the front of his home.
Lisa said her husband, Nik, had lost an estimated $15,000 worth of tools which were in his van at time when it was allegedly stolen during the early hours of Sunday 17 February.
Lisa, who asked not to publish her surname, said the van, a Toyota Townace was parked on the nature strip of Eminence Drive in Quarters Estate when it was taken about 2am, despite being locked.
She said Nik, a carpenter, wasn’t sure how he was going to make up the loss.
“It’s devastating. It’s just gutted my husband. We’re shocked by it, we still are,” she said.
“You rock up at a job site – you need tools otherwise they’re really not going to have you there.
“Work’s been really quiet. He’s trying to find work now.
“He’s going to be using my car – then that affects me. I won’t have a car,” she added.
The missing tools are a large range of Festool and Makita brands. The registration of the van is 1HR 2SE.
To make matters worse Nik had only recently bought the van from a neighbour which he was still paying off and yet to be insure.
“Now we’ve got no car, and we haven’t paid him either,” Lisa said.
According to Lisa, CCTV from their neighbour appeared to show a “little car getting around” at the time of the theft. “Obviously they’re targeting the car.”
Lisa said she was “kicking herself” as she generally heard noises from outside. “I always get up and check. During the morning you just don’t hear anything.”
“We looked around the next morning, nothing (left behind),” she added.
The couple have appealed on social media in the hope of anyone with information to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Cranbourne police are investigating.
