By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
ALL Diana Piperno wants is her sentimental personalised number plates back – PIPPYD.
“At the end of the day they are the most important thing to me, they were in honour of my late grandfather who passed eight years ago,” Ms Piperno sobbed.
On Sunday 5 July two cars were stolen from Ms Piperno’s parents’ Narre Warren North home between 12.30am and 3am.
After breaking into the house through the locked front door, thieves stole Ms Piperno’s handbag which held two iPads and car keys to her white Subaru Liberty GT Premium and her husband’s Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo.
“I woke up at 3am and noticed the lounge was a little bit messier and couldn’t find my glasses.
“When I went to check my car for the glasses I realised it was gone,” Ms Piperno said.
The Ford sedan was found “trashed” at David’s Timber in Dandenong on Tuesday morning (7 July) and Ms Piperno is currently waiting for police to pay for the towing before the Ford can be returned to her husband.
“We are so lucky to have both been given work cars to use at the moment but the family business I work for had to change their locks because I had business cards and work keys in my bag as well,” she said.
Ms Piperno’s Subaru has been spotted three times by the general public since Sunday night.
“I’ve had to be very vocal about it on social media because I understand that the police have so much to worry about, but I have had someone come into my house when my children and family were sleeping and that becomes serious.
“I’ve rang and spoken to police many times and they keep telling me that it’s a trend and an epidemic,” she said.
After a big response on Facebook Ms Piperno was alerted to a sighting of her car on Berwick main street.
“Someone thought they saw it at 6am on Princess Highway on Sunday morning and at 9am on Main Street, Berwick.
“She said she saw a male driver smoking travelling towards Narre Warren and Sunday afternoon someone saw it in Pakenham,” she said.
The distinctive number plates have since been taken off the Subaru and put on a black Ford Territory which was seen on Robinsons Street in Dandenong on Monday 6 July about 11.30am.
Ms Piperno has lived in Narre Warren for 18 years and this is the third time her parents’ house has been raided in six years.
She is fearful her ‘beautiful car’ will be sold off.
“The police think it’s been a targeted attack, I’m worried that it’s in a factory getting sprayed to be sold, I’m afraid that now I know from the general public that the plates have been separated I know it’s going to lay low,” she said.
Anyone who sees the white Subaru Liberty GT Premium with black satin OX 18 inch rims, darkened black lights and tinted windows is asked to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
