Elderly Warwick man mugged on Acacia Ave, potential links to stolen car

A man in his 70s has been injured in a violent daylight attack in the Warwick CBD, with police still searching for the offender and possible links to even more crime.

POLICE SEARCH: Warwick officers are on the hunt for a man they believe was behind the violent attack on an elderly man. Picture: file​

A brazen and violent daytime mugging that put an elderly man in hospital has sparked shock and outrage from the Warwick community, with police still hunting the culprit.

Warwick Police acting officer-in-charge Sergeant Cameron Slater said the 76-year-old victim was walking home after buying his newspapers at about 6.30am on Sunday when he was accosted by an unidentified man in Acacia Ave.

Sergeant Slater said the elderly man was asked a question but didn’t hear it, before the offender grabbed at the shirt pocket carrying the man’s phone.

“He also tried to grab a bag the victim was carrying in his hand,” he said.

“They’ve had a bit of a struggle. During the struggle, this gentleman has fallen heavily to the ground and sustained injuries, including lacerations and bruising to his face and knees.

“His glasses were also broken during the scuffle. The offender wasn’t able to get any property and ran away.”

The victim was taken to Warwick Hospital in a stable condition.

The elderly man’s family members took to social media to slam the attacker and share their own account of the incident.

His stepdaughter claimed the offender was in a white four-wheel drive at the time of the mugging.

“(A) passenger wearing a black hoody (sic) tried to take his phone and wallet, and when he wouldn’t hand it over he shoved him to the ground,” she said.

Sergeant Slater said detectives were still investigating whether the brazen act was linked to reports of a car being stolen from a Weewondilla Rd home.

He said a white Kia Carnival four-wheel drive was taken from the Warwick home between 11pm on Friday and 7am on Saturday, with the thieves believed to have entered the house through a window to steal the keys.

The car was found abandoned at Carbrook on Sunday afternoon.

CarsGuide.com estimates the value of a 2021 Kia Carnival to be between $48,880 and $72,990 depending on the model.

No one has been arrested or charged in relation to either incident.

Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Warwick Police on [phone] or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.