Tori Avnell and her partner spent a year saving for their first family car, only to see it hotwired, its upholstery covered in crayon drawings and its floor strewn in suspect items including a stranger's bra.

Most upsetting for Ms Avnell, the thieves disposed of her baby girl's belongings - a car seat, pram and carrier worth more than $2000.

"When we knew we wanted to start a family, we saved up for a year to have a safe car to have our daughter in, so we wouldn't have the whole thing on finance," Ms Avnell told the Mercury.

"Obviously I didn't want my car to be damaged beyond repair, but something about knowing that my daughter's stuff had been touched, and that they were in the car seat that I brought my daughter home from the hospital in really made me feel like I'd been violated.

"I broke down crying. Do whatever you want to me, but she's an innocent baby who has this stuff to keep her safe and happy and comfortable, and they just completely destroyed it. It's like they're laughing upon your hard work."

Police say six children aged 12-14 scattered from the blue Kia Sportage 4WD after it became the target of a police operation the afternoon of Monday, January 16.

Ms Avnell had noticed the car missing about midday Monday, having last seen it parked in her driveway the night before.

She and her mother went searching the local area that afternoon for an abandoned or burnt-out wreck, only to have the missing Kia whizz past them on Fairwater Drive.

"I said, 'Mum, that's my car!," Ms Avnell said.

"I called triple-0 ... she [the operator] said, 'what car are you in?'. When I told her she said, 'we can see you, we're in the helicopter".

Police opted not to directly pursue the stolen car due the the age and presumed inexperience of the drivers, believed aged 13 and 14.

The car was found abandoned in Koonawarra later Monday, when police rounded up the young joyriders.

Ms Avnell said police allowed her to inspect the car to see what had been taken and it was then that she saw the extent of damage.

"They'd drawn all over the leather seats with my daughter's crayons. There was food in it, a bra, cologne. All my stuff and a First Aid kid - they'd thrown it everywhere.

"They'd cut it to hotwire it and the wires were all exposed.

"My partner works in the mines so I couldn't even call him to tell him because he isn't contactable when he's in the pit. We want to fix it and sell it. We don't want to be in it any more."

The car was insured, but Ms Avnell has been told she won't receive more than $500 for the stolen contents.

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