Teens’ chaotic week of alleged car thefts and hooning ends in arrests
Despite the actions of a truck driver to end a chaotic spree of alleged car thefts and assist in the arrest of nine teens on 104 charges, police have urged motorists not to take the law into their own hands.
Cairns
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Police have arrested nine teenagers on 104 charges after a chaotic week of alleged car thefts and dangerous driving incidents, one of which ended with a Range Rover Evoque crashing into a semi-trailer on a busy city street.
Officers from the Cairns Property Crime Unit with assistance from the Tactical Crime Squad, Dog Squad and Rescue 510 helicopter have charged nine teenagers with 104 charges in relation to allegedly stolen vehicles in Cairns.
It will be alleged on the morning of April 27, a white Ford Kluger was stolen from a Timberlea Drive property.
It is further alleged that vehicle was used in the theft of an orange Lexus station wagon from a Moonlight Terrace address at 10.15am on April 29.
About an hour later, the Lexus was allegedly involved in the theft of a grey Toyota Kluger which was stolen from a Sherbrook Close address.
Police allege overnight on April 29, the Kluger was used in the theft of a silver Range Rover Evoque from an Ivorywood Close property.
The Evoque was allegedly involved in further burglary and stealing offences on April 30 and May 1.
Between 5.30am and 7.30am on Wednesday, May 1, a silver Nissan X-Trail and a silver Toyota Corolla were allegedly stolen from a Wolff Street property and were sighted driving dangerously around Cairns.
No one was injured during these incidents.
A 15-year-old Manunda boy was arrested on McGuane Close.
He was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and burglary.
Just before 1pm on Wednesday, the Evoque crashed into a semi-trailer on Lyons Street.
The driver and three passengers fled the vehicle and were arrested by police minutes later.
Detective Inspector Kevin Goan said the group of offenders who were known to each other went on a house break and car stealing spree through Mount Sheridan, Edmonton and Brinsmead.
“We see young people unlicensed, inexperienced and sometimes drug-affected behind the wheel of a vehicle, driving at speed, regardless of the road rules and that is a concern to us because it puts members of the public at risk,” he said.
Detective Inspector Goan described the recent criminal activity as opportunistic with little planning in pursuit of high speed thrills and the buzz of being targeted by police.
“It’s the thrill of the criminal acts that lures them to being tied up in that cohort,” he said.
“It certainly moves away from the traditional break and enter offences where we saw people looking to steal goods for sale to make money to be able to support their nefarious activity.
“It appears (new) behaviours are more in line with the thrill of driving stolen vehicles and of course the momentary thrill of entering someone else’s house to steal the keys.”
That thrill came to an abrupt end for five offenders when a truck driver assisted to stop the stolen Range Rover and also aided officers to detain offenders who scattered from the Lyons St crash.
However detective Inspector Goan reiterated a police message that warned residents not to take the law into their own hands.
“The objective is to safely take (offenders) into custody and what we would likely see if vigilante type activity were to occur is people being injured unnecessarily,” he said.
“The dangers are not only blocking them in, it’s the dangers associated with five kids fleeing the vehicle on busy motorways, if one of those children would have been struck and killed, we would be looking at the criminal conduct of all parties.
“(But the truck driver’s) actions whatever they may have been, have enabled us to move in and take those kids into custody.”
A 14-year-old Holloways Beach boy was charged with seventeen counts of enter dwelling, fourteen counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, eight counts of attempted enter dwelling, six counts of unlicensed driving, and three counts each of stealing, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and receiving tainted property.
A 14-year-old Woree boy was charged with six counts of enter dwelling and commit, three counts each of stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of attempted enter dwelling and one count each of driving unlicensed, receiving tainted property and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
A 15-year-old Manoora boy was charged with two counts each of attempted enter dwelling and enter dwelling and commit, and one count each of enter dwelling with intent, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, driving unlicensed and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
A 17-year-old Manoora boy was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and possessing dangerous drugs.
A 14-year-old Whitfield boy was arrested earlier on May 1, and charged with two counts of enter dwelling and commit, and one count each of wilful damage, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
A 15-year-old Mooroobool boy was arrested at Murray Street yesterday.
He was charged with three counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of enter dwelling and one count each of attempted enter dwelling and stealing.
A 16-year-old Manoora boy was charged with one count of attempted enter dwelling.
A 17-year-old Manoora boy was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and possess dangerous drugs.
All nine teenagers were denied bail and are due to appear in the Cairns Childrens Court on Thursday, May 2.
Police stated some of the teen offenders charged on Wednesday were recent releases from juvenile detention.
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Originally published as Teens’ chaotic week of alleged car thefts and hooning ends in arrests
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