Teenagers face 66 charges after alleged Hervey Bay crime spree

Four boys, aged 14 to 17 years old, and a 16-year-old girl have been arrested on the Fraser Coast and taken into custody.

Police will allege about 4.30am on Monday, March 13, a group of teenagers broke into the Grand Hotel in Howard, stealing cash and alcohol, before leaving in a stolen ute.

Five teenagers have been charged with 66 offences after a spate of alleged property crimes across the Fraser Coast.

Police will allege about 4.30am on Monday, March 13, a group of teens broke into the Grand Hotel in Howard, stealing cash and alcohol, before leaving in a stolen ute.

The vehicle, a black 2020 Nissan Navara, was allegedly stolen from a Pulgul Street address in Urangan at about 3.30am on Monday.

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Following investigations, four boys, aged 14, 15, 15 and 17-years-old, and a 16-year-old girl were located in residential addresses at Kawungan, Urangan and Pialba, and taken into police custody without incident.

They have been charged with 66 offences relating to a number of incidents across Hervey Bay earlier this month.

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The teenagers were denied police bail and will appear at Hervey Bay Children’s Court at a later date.

The arrests came as the state government announced it would create more than 80 new jobs in early intervention, diversion and intensive case management programs across Queensland to help turn around the lives of at-risk young people and keep the community safe.

Intensive Case Management will be expanded to Brisbane, Logan, Toowoomba, Moreton, Gold Coast, Rockhampton and Ipswich – with jobs going in all seven locations.

The service works with serious young offenders aged 13 to 17 years, and their families to help break the cycle of crime.

Youth Co-responder Teams already operate in eight locations across the state and the program is being expanded to five new sites – Toowoomba, Hervey Bay, Mount Isa, Ipswich and South Brisbane, with recruitment to start soon to fill new positions in each location.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24 hour a day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.