BRAZEN thieves have plucked a car from the middle of Wodonga’s CBD — in the middle of the day — and then torched it at a nearby park two hours later.
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The car was set alight at Felix Grundy Park, off Dick Street and adjacent to Sumsion Gardens, about 3.30pm.
No one was inside the burnt-out Toyota Camry, which had its two front wheels submerged in House Creek.
Acting Sergeant Daniel Braines said three youths, of Aboriginal and Caucasian appearance, were seen fleeing the scene south along a bike path towards Lawrence Street.
He said the vehicle was stolen from the Safeway carpark in High Street, Wodonga, between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.
Wodonga resident Ke’an Wise, 18, saw the smoke from his bedroom window and ran outside to have a look.
“I wasn’t sure what was on fire, so I quickly ran outside,” he said.
“The fire brigade were on the scene and it was just smoke coming from the car at that stage.”
Meanwhile, police are investigating possible links between a series of car thefts in Wodonga.
Several vehicles have been stolen in recent months and found burnt out in Albury and Wagga.
In the most recent incident, a vehicle was stolen after a burglary at a home near Drages Road on Friday night.
The Ford Territory was taken from the West Wodonga home sometime after 10pm and was found on fire at Pearsall Street in Lavington about 1.30am Saturday.
Firefighters were at the scene about 10 minutes later and spent about half an hour extinguishing the fire.
The vehicle was destroyed.
Detective Sergeant Graeme Simpfendorfer said there were similar circumstances with many of the incidents.
“There is some kind of common denominator that we’ve got to look into,” he said.
“They have been stolen in Wodonga and recovered burnt out in Albury or Wagga.”
Detective Simpfendorfer said several cars had been targeted in recent months.
Police processed the scene of Friday night’s theft in West Wodonga and are now calling for anyone with information to contact them on (02) 6049 2600, or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.