‘Brazen’: Cops hunt thief joy-riding in big yellow tow truck

Authorities are on the hunt for a brazen thief who has stolen one of the most distinguishable vehicles possible.

A thief has stolen a Freightliner Coronado from Barnes Auto Co.

Authorities are on the hunt for a brazen thief who has stolen one of those most distinguishable vehicles possible.

A big yellow truck used for towing heavy vehicles drove back past Barnes Auto Co five hours after the unashamed thief broke into the Coopers Plains yard.

Barnes Auto Co operations manager Rob Wass received a call about 6am Sunday that the gate of the facility was open.

“When we got there, the gate wasn’t open, it was laying in the middle of the road,” Mr Wass said.

“The person has cut through the fence, tried all different vehicles until they could get into this one and then drove it through the gate, down the road 300m and disconnected all the tracking.”

Mr Wass said CCTV of the ordeal had been handed to police and showed a culprit covered up, dressed in black.

He said there was little the person would be able to use the truck for.

“They can’t do too much with it because it’s very recognisable and now we have people all the way down in New South Wales keeping an eye out for it,” Mr Wass said.

“I don’t know what the motive would be, maybe just to go for a joy ride.

“We saw on cameras that the truck drove back past five hours later.

“It’s very brazen.”

The truck is a yellow Freightliner Coronado with registration 118SOK.

A police investigation is ongoing.