Police are trying to identify a man involved in a statewide crime rampage committed between Melbourne and Warrnambool.
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Detective Senior Constable Richard Hughes, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said images of the man have been released to try and identify him.
He said the man is believed to have stolen a white HiAce van in Melbourne, committed burglaries in the city, then dumped the van in Warrnambool, stole another ute, used it in a Terang break-in and then evaded Melbourne police in a chase before dumping the broken-down ute.
The series of offences kicked off when a man stole a Toyota HiAce van in Ascot Vale Road Moonee Ponds at 2.45am on July 1.
The van was being used for deliveries and had been left unattended for a short time with the keys in the ignition.
The offender got in and brazenly drove away.
The same morning the man threw a brick through the front window of a property on Mount Alexander Road in Moonee Ponds at 3.50am.
He was unable to gain entry.
At 4.10am the man drove to a hairdressing salon along Pascoe Vale Road in Glenroy.
He threw a rock through glass, gained entry to the salon and stole cash before driving off.
On July 2 at 12.55am the man parked out the front of a business in Westside Drive at Laverton North.
He reached into into the van, got a rock and threw it through the front glass doors, stealing CCTV equipment valued at $3500.
At 8pm on July 3 the same offender threw a rock through a glass door at SL Distributors in Warrnambool's Rooneys Road.
He reached in and opened a door to gain entry.
The offender was in the building for just over three minutes, ransacked the office but nothing is believed to have been stolen.
At 2.35pm the next day the same man driving the HiAce van stole petrol worth $46.90 at a Warrnambool BP service station near the intersection of Jamieson Street and Raglan Parade.
Police found the HiAce van dumped in Warrnambool's Moore Street just after 7.30pm on Sunday, July 7.
The van was forensically examined by crime scene officers.
Mid afternoon on Monday last week the same man and an unknown woman were seen walking along the south side of Koroit Street.
At 3.13pm the man jumped in the driver's seat of a 2018 white Holden Colorado ute parked in a loading zone outside the Hotel Warrnambool in Kepler Street.
A worker had left the keys in the ignition and the offender drove off.
"The man was wearing a hoodie, with dark clothes. He crossed Kepler Street, walked to the driver's seat of the ute parked in the loading zone, jumped in and drove off without hesitation," Detective Senior Constable Hughes said.
That evening the man used a brick to smash glass and gain entry to Scanlon's Dairy Centre in High Street at Terang.
He stole cash and cheques before driving off.
On Wednesday last week, about 8pm, the man was seen acting suspiciously at Wingate Avenue in Ascot Vale.
Police officers attempted to intercept the white ute, the offender fled and a chase started.
The ute was followed along Maribyrnong Road and then Citylink before the pursuit was terminated due to the danger posed to the public.
Detective Senior Constable Hughes said the ute was then used in a burglary at 4.45am on Thursday last week in Nevada Court at Hoppers Crossing.
A brick was again thrown through a glass window at a business.
On Monday the stolen ute was found at 12.30am parked in Dawson Street at Coburg North.
The drive shaft was hanging under the vehicle, it was towed away and has been forensically examined.
Detectives from Warrnambool, Fawkner and Wyndham police stations are trying to identify the offender.
"There are questions that need to be answered," Detective Senior Constable Hughes said.
"We're not sure who he is, if he's from Warrnambool, who his female associate is and what his connection to Warrnambool is.
"Anyone with information is requested to contact the Warrnambool CIU on 5560 1174 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," he said.
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