By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
CRANBOURNE student Tony Jakupi hopes thieves who stole his recently deceased father’s tip-truck and bobcat might feel a pang of conscience.
Tony’s father John Jakupi had lived humbly and contentedly on a pension in Shawlands Caravan Park in Dandenong, too proud to take money from well-to-do relatives.
He had bequeathed the vehicles to Tony to set him up financially.
“The truck, bobcat and caravan were all the assets he had. The plan was to sell (the vehicles) and help me towards a deposit on a house,” Tony said.
“He was throwing whatever bits of money he had on the truck. He wanted to go back to Yugoslavia to visit his 90-year-old father on the left-over money.”
John died in his caravan from a heart attack last month just before buying new tyres for the truck.
Tony, who studies architecture and lives with a partner and five kids in Cranbourne, was hoping to use some of the vehicles’ proceeds – expected to be about $36,000 – to fund a tombstone for his dear dad.
“If only (the thieves) knew the circumstances … it’s the only means I have to fund his grave.
“If they had any heart at all, perhaps they can just bail them on the road and call Crime Stoppers.”
Greater Dandenong detectives believe thieves in a dark SUV stole the unregistered truck loaded with the bobcat early on 31 July.
The vehicles had been parked on a slip lane in front of a business on 65 South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong – not far from the caravan park.
A friend of Tony’s – who lived in the caravan park – had spotted the SUV parked next to the vehicles between 3am and 3.15am.
When he returned five minutes later, the truck and bobcat were gone.
“He thought there was something a bit suspicious. He’s kicking himself in a way,” Tony said.
“I’m shocked that I parked them there that afternoon. The next morning they were gone.
“I hardly slept the first few nights. I’ve been driving around late at night, looking for (suspicious) four-wheel-drives.”
The truck is a white 1980s Isuzu with the numberplates 1AV1KL; the bobcat a yellow 1999 Mustang 2050 model.
Tony said the truck could not travel more than 10 kilometres without overheating, so thought it could be stored in a shed or yard close by.
Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
