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Police in central Queensland are looking for a man who went to extreme lengths to "re-steal" a Holden Commodore, causing more than $100,000 damage in the process.
- Offender goes to elaborate lengths to take stolen car from police yard in Rockhampton
- A detective says the once-stolen car was to be forensically examined
- He says the loader was also set on fire, causing more than $100 000 damage
A Rockhampton detective says the thief took a front-end loader from a Parkhurst business and drove it through the gate of another business in Leichhardt Street about 5.40am on Sunday, May 15.
A security camera filmed the loader pushing a parked flatbed tow truck out of the way of parked cars, including the Commodore, and the offender get out of the machine and set fire to it.
He then fled the scene in the 2017 grey Holden Commodore.
Rockhampton criminal investigation branch officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Peachey said it appeared "considerable" planning went into the incident.
"Anyone who's driven a front-end loader knows that it's not just an easy thing that you can jump in and press go," he said.
"The way that they've driven that front-end loader would indicate that they've got previous experience."
Detective Senior Sergeant Peachey said the damage bill from the offender's efforts was significant.
"(It) is over $100,000."
Detective Senior Sergeant Peachey said the Commodore had previously been stolen but was recovered by police and in a holding yard.
"It [the car ] had been seized to assist us in further investigations to try to identify who had originally broken into the house and stolen that car," he said.
"We were going to forensically analyse that, but obviously before we could do that it was re-stolen.
Detective Senior Sergeant Peachey said police were unsure of the motive and while only one man was in the footage from the holding yard, he was not ruling out multiple offenders.
He said he was surprised the ruckus in and around the holding yard had not drawn attention and urged anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.
"Unfortunately, our first (knowledge) was when we were notified by the holding yard and advised of the break and enter," Det Snr Sgt Peachey said.
"It beggars belief and that's why we're asking the public, there must be someone out there who knows something or saw something."
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