Townsville crime: Boys robbed at knifepoint, cops rammed in chaotic overnight spree
A pair of teenage boys were robbed at knifepoint by car thieves who later used a stolen SUV to ram a police vehicle during a chaotic night on Townsville’s streets. Here’s what happened.
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A pair of teenage boys were robbed at knifepoint by car thieves who later used a stolen SUV to ram a police vehicle during a chaotic night on Townsville’s streets.
Police are investigating a series of incidents, which occurred on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, that are believed to be linked.
The drama began at 10.18pm on Tuesday when a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old riding e-scooters along Nathan Street, Vincent, were ambushed by occupants of two stolen vehicles.
One offender flashed a knife tucked inside the waistband of their pants before stealing the boys’ scooters and other belongings.
The boys bolted to a nearby service station for safety but were pursued by the thieves, who demanded keys to the scooters before fleeing in a stolen Toyota LandCruiser and Mitsubishi Outlander.
Hours later, at 4.30am on Wednesday, police responded to reports of a car fire on Pilkington Street, Garbutt.
An officer identified the two stolen vehicles involved in the earlier armed robbery, including the Mitsubishi Outlander, which had been set alight.
Things took a dangerous turn when the stolen LandCruiser tailed the police car, forcing officers onto the footpath.
The driver then pulled a U-turn and smashed into the police car twice before speeding off with the Mitsubishi.
The stolen LandCruiser was found dumped on vacant land in Rosslea hours later, but the suspects remain on the run.
Police are urging anyone with information, dashcam footage, or CCTV to come forward as investigations continue.
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Originally published as Townsville crime: Boys robbed at knifepoint, cops rammed in chaotic overnight spree
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