By Brendan Rees
Brazen thieves have stolen at least four cars in the space of a week in a Cranbourne East neighbourhood.
Father of three Leroy Taylor said he was awoken by a noise outside his Tangemere Way home about 4am on Wednesday 30 October.
He ran outside to discover thugs rolling his Commodore out of his driveway before another car helped push start it.
According to Mr Leroy, the thieves had jumped his neighbour’s fence before smashing the passenger’s side window of his car.
A nearby black sedan then “rammed into the back of my red car and pushed him up the road”.
“The guy that had obviously dropped him off was waiting on the road and was going to follow him out of the area,” he said.
“They desperately wanted this car; they weren’t prepared to leave it behind,” he said.
Unfortunately the thieves movements were obscured by the angle of the front door CCTV camera.
Mr Leroy said his car was insured but the inconvenience of being without a car was a “major one”.
“I’m a truck driver so I don’t earn ridiculous amounts of money,” he said, explaining without overtime pay he and his wife would struggle to pay their mortgage.
His vehicle is a 2003 Commodore VY SS model with registration YTB 417.
“It’s just a car, that’s fine… it can be replaced but it’s the sentimental value I have with that the car,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dirshani Jacob got the shock of her life when her husband’s car, a silver Ford Falcon, was stolen from their Scotsdale Drive driveway as he was about to go to work.
Ms Dirshani said her husband had started his car about 5.20am on Monday 28 October when he realised he had forgotten his coffee inside the house.
“He left everything in the car, he jumped out, ran in, got the coffee; was like a minute,” she said.
“He came back and said to me ‘the car’s stolen.’ I just thought he was joking. I went out there and sure enough it was gone.”
His wallet and phone were in the car at the time. She said a neighbour had CCTV cameras but due to the darkness they weren’t able get a good image.
“I’m guessing they know your routine that he leaves at that hour,” she said.
The couple hope anyone who sights their car with registration UEL 954 can contact police.
Two days earlier a VY SS Commodore had been taken from a Cranbourne East home about 4.15am after thieves smashed the rear window.
It was found a few days later dumped in a paddock in a Cranbourne Estate and doused in petrol but not set alight, the owner, Blackie, said.
Another resident said on Facebook their neighbour’s car, a Commodore VY SS model, was stolen two weeks ago on Nelson Street in Cranbourne East.
“I got it on camera, smashed a window then 15 mins later came back and pushed it with another car up towards Ballarto Rd at 12.30,” the post said.
Police have been contacted for comment.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
