The Toyota Vitz car stolen from a couple who were seriously assaulted in Onehunga on Saturday night has been found.
The car was found in Otahuhu last night and has now been seized by police, who will conduct a forensic examination on the vehicle taken after a brutal attack on the elderly couple in the driveway of their Mt Smart Rd home.
Photos emerged yesterday of a man inside the car, who police said used the vehicle to ram into another car with a young family inside after it was stolen at 9.30pm on Saturday night.
The man is being sought in relation to the two incidents that took place on Saturday night.
Police also want to speak to a male passenger who was spotted in the stolen car during the second incident.
The elderly couple were seriously assaulted after the woman pulled into the driveway of their Mt Smart Rd property.
She was approached and verbally abused by the man. The noise attracted her husband's attention, and when he came outside the attacker beat him unconscious.
He then attacked his wife and she too was knocked unconscious, police said.
The man fled in the couple's car, and within an hour of the attack was spotted with a man in the passenger seat at the Z petrol station on the corner of Alfriston Rd and Great South Rd. The pair deliberately rammed another car, with a couple and their children inside.
"We're looking to identify the passenger. Whether he knows what has taken place an hour before is something we're obviously very keen to discuss with him and we'd ask anyone who might recognise him to contact us," Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Newman said.
"We also need to speak to anyone who has seen this car. It could be dumped on the side of the road somewhere, or it could still be being driven.
"There are not huge numbers of these cars in this colour being driven across Auckland, and so if you've seen a car like this in recent days, particularly being driven in a reckless or suspicious manner, please let us know."
The car is a burnt-orange/brown coloured 2004 Toyota Vitz with the registration HYT799.
The elderly couple were both taken to hospital with suspected broken jaws following the assault. However, they escaped without fractures, but sustained severe bruising and black eyes. They are currently recovering at home.
The couple said they were too traumatised by the incident to speak to media.
"They are a lovely couple and we are doing everything we can to support them," Mr Newman said.
"This was a very violent attack and we wish to reassure the community that we are fully committed to finding this offender as soon as possible, and we are following positive lines of enquiry."
