NSW: Man's body in boot linked to girl's death

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2009
NSW: Man's body in boot linked to girl's death

SYDNEY, Dec 20 AAP - The body of an elderly man found in the boot of a car in Sydney's
southwest may be linked to the death of a 12-year-old girl discovered in the same suburb
just a day before.

Homicide squad detectives found the body of a 77-year-old in the boot of a Volvo sedan
in the car park of shopping complex at Wetherill Park, in Sydney's southwest, on Saturday
at about 7.45pm (AEDT).

Earlier in the day, police were searching for three vehicles, including the Volvo,
in relation to the murder of the 12-year-old girl and malicious wounding of a 77-year-old
woman at their Wetherill Park home on Friday night.

The Volvo was discovered following a tip-off from a member of the public, who had spotted
the vehicle in the car park.

Detectives were also searching for two Holden Commodores and father and son, Gino Da-Pra,
77, and Renzo Da-Pra, 45, who had been reported missing from the area by family members.

Shortly before 7am on Sunday, police were alerted to a man smelling of petrol and acting
suspiciously outside Fairfield Hospital.

Officers arrived at the scene and observed the man sitting in a silver-coloured Holden
Commodore station wagon.

As police approached the man, he allegedly set fire to vehicle, which officers and
attending firefighters worked to extinguish.

A 45-year-old man was treated at the scene for moderate burns and was taken by ambulance
to Liverpool Hospital, where he remains under police guard.

When his medical condition improves, detectives will question the man in relation to
the deaths of the 77-year-old man and the 12-year-old girl, and the malicious wounding
of the woman.

Investigators have seized the Volvo for further forensic testing and a post-mortem
examination will be carried out on the deceased man to determine the cause of his death.

AAP vpm/goc/

KEYWORD: BODY

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