This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) — A brazen theft of a classic car has the family of a Vietnam veteran pleading for its return.

Tina Lattimer said her father discovered his ’67 Chevy Nova missing from the locked garage behind his home in Charlestown Township Monday, among other items. A loss she estimated at $12,000.

“When he realized it was missing, he was upset,” Lattimer said. “He went from angry to upset something’s been taken because he’s never had that here in the 46 years he’s lived here.”

The Portage County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of items from the home. How the theft occurred remains under review.

Lattimer said the family home of nearly 50 years is for sale and has attracted more people to the property in recent weeks.

Lattimer believes the car was taken on a trailer from the property. She said the car is noticeably loud when running and could not be moved without a witness noticing.

“Some of these items would take a least two men to lift and move,” she said. “My dad’s a motorhead, it has to rumble when it runs, so if they were trying to drive it the neighbors would have heard the rumble.”

Lattimer said the monetary value of the car is not as significant as its sentimental worth.

“It was something him and my mom bought just before she passed away with pancreatic cancer and it’s very sentimental. It’s something we can’t replace with insurance,” Lattimer said.

Lattimer said the decision to sell the family home was not easy given her father’s health concerns, and now losing the precious Nova is another crushing blow.

“What’s even harder is to watch my dad and how he’s suffering through this,” she said. “There are so many good people out there who are taken advantage of. Had they asked he probably would have given them half the stuff. He’s the kind of guy [that says], ‘Well, they need it more than I do.”’