ACT Policing have launched an appeal to identify three bungling would-be thieves who stole a car and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to a dog wash at the Calwell Shopping Centre.
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Police believe the trio - two men and a woman - stole a 2015 white Ford Ranger from a Curtin driveway at about 11pm on Sunday, May 1.
The ute had business insignia on both front doors, which the trio covered in blue paint. A few days later, they attempted to cover the blue paint, leaving a blue tinge on both doors.
The car was spotted at the McDonald Erindale drive-through three days later and shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the trio were caught on security camera stealing petrol from the Caltex Service Station in Hume.
About two hours later, they targeted a dog wash at the Calwell Shopping Centre where they tried to tow the huge machine behind the banged-up ute. But despite several attempts, they failed to get away with their target.
CCTV captured three people in a white Ford Ranger trayback yanking the metal gates of the dog wash off using a tow rope about 2.20am on Thursday.
One man in a hood is seen to slip the rope around the dog washing machine as another man reversed the ute back towards the ruined gates.
The ute is seen to reverse too far, smashing into the machine at a high speed.
The driver exits the car and fiddles with the rope before both men get back into the vehicle and inch it forward.
After more fumbling around, the men jump back in the ute and floor it - but the tow rope slips off.
The footage shows them speeding off empty-handed.
The third person remained in the front passenger seat of the vehicle the entire time.
It is believed up to $40,000 damage was caused during the destructive raid, which lasted less than 10 minutes.
Police have since found the car used in the ram raid but have launched an appeal for information from the public.
All three offenders are believed to caucasian. The woman was wearing a grey hoodie and is described as short, aged in her teens with dyed blonde hair.
One of the men is tall with a slim build and was wearing a black hooded jumper with white insignia on the front, grey track pants and black and orange Nike sneakers.
The second man has short brown hair.
The dog wash ram raid came less than a week after thieves rammed their way into the centre and stole boxes of cigarettes from Woolworths.
The two offenders managed to stall their car as they tried to smash their way out of the centre, later torching the vehicle.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or act.crimestoppers.com.au.
- with Katie Burgess
