Police have arrested and charged a 17-year-old boy in relation to the theft and destruction of Nell Hanrahan's car.

The boy was arrested on Monday and remanded in custody overnight after being charged with eight offences including two counts of car theft, arson and bail breaches.

He appeared in a Children's Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until April 1.

EARLIER

Nell Hanrahan has experienced the best and worst of Ballarat within just a few days.

On Friday her Hyundai Elantra was stolen in a brazen daylight attack, and on Sunday morning it was found burnt out, leaving her without transport and her independence.

After speaking out about the impact of the crime she was buoyed by public support with one woman offering her a car, and another setting up a gofundme campaign to help cover the costs around the loss of her car. Ms Hanrahan was insured, though she had changed insurers just days earlier. 

Other people reported seeing the car at Coles in Eastwood Street on Saturday, giving Ms Hanrahan  hope that CCTV footage might show who stole and torched the car.

The car fire that destroyed Ms Hanrahan's beloved car was one of at least seven in Ballarat over the past week. 

The pointlessness of the crime - stealing a car and torching it - has angered and bemused the 91-year-old.

"They didn't do it to make money … just to annoy people," she said.

It is the nature of the initial crime that has left her shocked and keen to warn other elderly Ballarat residents that they too could easily become a victim.

Ms Hanrahan had been talking to a friend while unloading her car at the North Ballarat senior citizens club. She had to run to use the bathroom and mistakenly left her keys in the boot.

While her friend was standing there, four people rushed to Ms Hanrahan's car, one man grabbed the keys and drove off. The others sped off in two other cars, almost crashing in to other elderly drivers.

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She was just pleased that no one had been injured.

"I said to mum we need to let the other elderly people know in the community that this can happen, to be more conscious," said her daughter Claire.

"I still feel sorry for the other people, it's not just her whose cars are being stolen and destroyed."

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