DESTROYED: This Toyota Corolla sedan was found along David St, Tamworth after it was stolen from a Kurrajong St address. 221012GOE05
THREE Tamworth residents’ cars were broken into and set on fire in the early hours of yesterday morning. The cars were all damaged beyond repair while their owners slept unaware.
The first reported car fire occurred just after 2.20am in Nancy St, South Tamworth.
A 51-year-old woman woke up after she heard noises out the front of her home.
Upon investigating, she saw her Volkswagen van well alight in the driveway.
Police believe those responsible for the fire had tried to steal the vehicle but after failing to do so, destroyed it.
A nearby home also suffered some damage during the blaze.
About the same time, a Toyota Corolla sedan was stolen from a Kurrajong St home, also in South
Tamworth.
The home had been ransacked and the car’s keys were stolen.
Police later found the car alight in David St about 3am.
The elderly occupants, believed to be in their 70s and 80s, were home at the time but were only alerted to the crime when police told them.
Police said it was not yet known whether other property was stolen from their home. Hours before, another car parked in Kurrajong St had been stolen and set on fire.
Between 8.30pm and 10.30pm, an 81-year-old woman’s home was broken into and some cash and her Toyota sedan’s keys were taken.
Police believe the offenders gained entry through the side
window.
The sedan was later found burnt out at Lloma Park, West Tamworth.
A 66-year-old man had also woken on Sunday night to find his Datsun sedan was a target of an unsuccessful theft.
Between 8pm and 11.15pm, the man woke to find property in his Stewart Ave home taken.
The keys to his car had been removed and an unsuccessful attempt was made to start the vehicle, but it – unlike the others – was not set alight.
While the circumstances and location of each incident were similar, it is not yet known whether they were linked to the same person or people.
Meanwhile electrical goods worth more than $1200 have been stolen from a ute parked at a Gunnedah caravan park.
Between 10pm on Sunday and 4.30am yesterday, a Mazda utility was broken into.
An iPad, GPS device and set of headphones were taken.