A woman is recovering from a traumatic experience after her car was stolen and set on fire in a Perth shopping center parking lot. Aliya Pi, 30, who moved to Perth from China on a work-holiday visa three months ago, parked her blue Toyota Corolla at Victoria Park Central around 11:30 p.m. on October 2. Upon returning from a late-night gym session, she discovered her vehicle had been robbed and torched.

Police allege that a 26-year-old man broke into Pi's car, stole personal items, and then returned to ignite the vehicle before fleeing on foot between 11:50 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) dispatched two firefighting trucks, which managed to control the blaze by 12:20 a.m. on October 3.

When Pi returned from the gym, she was shocked to find her car's charred remains. "When I saw the car, I just couldn’t believe it was mine. It was so badly burnt that my mind went completely blank," she said. As she approached the wreckage to check the license plate, she heard a noise from the shadows and fled in fear. She did not stop running until she reached a main road with traffic lights.

Feeling panicked and alone, Pi found safety when a woman with a child offered her a ride. "I’m so grateful to this kind woman; she stayed with me until police arrived and even helped me call my insurance company," Pi recalled. While on the phone with her insurer, she received a notification about a transaction on one of her accounts, prompting her to lock her cards. After speaking with police and arranging for her car to be towed, she finally made it home around 3 a.m.

"I didn’t fall asleep until the next morning. I still felt very scared. It all felt unreal," Pi said, noting that the incident occurred exactly one month after she purchased the car. She reported losing approximately $8,000 worth of belongings, including her car, wallet, tablet, and other personal items. Despite the trauma, she only took one day off work and has been managing shifts, police reports, and insurance claims since the incident.

Reflecting on that night, Pi expressed regret about going to the gym so late. "I was actually proud of myself after finishing my workout that night, happy that I could do this in what I thought was such a safe place," she said. Since the incident, she has not returned to the gym and avoids going out after dark. Although her insurer offered her a temporary replacement vehicle, she declined, feeling too anxious to drive.

"When I’m on the bus, I don’t dare listen to music or scroll on my phone. I just keep looking around," Pi said. "I run home as soon as I get off, checking to make sure no one’s following me. I’m scared someone might come at me and hurt me." Recently, she received a notification about another attempted transaction on one of her bank cards, which was declined.

On October 28, police reported that the same man allegedly returned to the parking lot and set a grey Volkswagen Tiguan on fire around 4:45 a.m. DFES confirmed that the fire was fully extinguished by 5:20 a.m. The 26-year-old man has been charged with two counts of criminal damage by fire and one count of theft. He has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on December 1. Police have not confirmed whether anyone was pursuing Pi during the incident.

"At least I wasn’t injured in the end," Pi said. "I just want to remind others that this place isn’t as safe as it seems, so it’s important to stay alert."