By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A BERWICK family can no longer sleep at night after thieves entered their house in the dead of night, took keys from inside and stole their car, in a brazen home invasion.
It is one of a spate of home burglaries in Casey in which thieves have broken into houses, often through unlocked doors, stolen keys and used them to make off with the occupant’s car.
In the last month, residents across Berwick and Cranbourne have fallen victim to the car-jacking bandits, who invade homes while families are asleep.
David Linton, of Berwick, bought his 18-year-old daughter a Holden Commodore for doing well at school, but less than a month before sitting for her licence, thieves broke into his Findon Way house through the unlocked front door and stole Emma’s car.
“I was pretty shocked they would have the courage to do that, people don’t take kindly with strangers in their house,” Mr Linton said.
“We’re struggling to sleep at night now, everyone’s on high alert. We’ve had to change all the locks, the garage remote … they took all the keys, it’s so costly.”
Mr Linton said the door had been open for Emma who had gone to the movies that night on 13 July, but the thieves arrived instead, about 1am.
The car was found dumped and un-driveable in Dandenong two days later, its radiator ruined.
All up, the cost of fixing the car and replacing the stolen keys and garage remote cost the Lintons somewhere between $2500 to $3000.
Emma said she had been “devastated” by the ordeal.
“I was in tears, that car is my pride and joy and it broke my heart,” she said.
“I love my car to bits, and it was taken from me and I don’t even know who took it. I don’t know these people … ”
“How could they do that to another person.”
The Linton family’s ordeal is only the tip of the iceberg for recent Casey home carjackings.
On 29 July, thieves broke into a Cranbourne North home in Paratea Lane in the middle of the day and took car keys which they used to steal a Kia Sportage.
The car was found burnt-out in parkland in Narre Warren two days later.
Police suspect stolen plates were attached to the car when they found it set ablaze off Robinsons Road.
Overnight on 31 July, a 2015 Range Rover Evoque and a 2008 Holden Astra were stolen from a Furness Court property in Berwick, after thieves also broke in and stole the keys.
Meanwhile, a Kia sedan was stolen from a Berwick house in Newbury Drive just after 1am on 3 August by thieves who were disturbed by the occupant and still managed to take the car.
Detective Senior Sergeant John Bergin urged residents to ensure their house and car doors were locked, warning that keys and cars were being stolen from Casey homes at an alarming rate.
“People have to be aware that there are people, irrespective that it’s winter and cold, looking to steal what they can,” he said.
“Do not leave keys visible on kitchen benches and be aware of secondary keys and make appropriate arrangements – because they will be back.”
