Stolen ute rampage: NT police hunt youths in Alice Springs joy ride and servo ram raid
A stolen ute was taken on an early morning joy ride across Alice Springs on Friday before ramming into a servo, police say.
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Police are on the lookout for a group of youths who allegedly took a stolen ute on a joy ride through the Alice Springs central business district before ramraiding a service station.
Police allege a white Nissan Navara was stolen from a residence on Bloomfield St around 1am on Friday morning.
Southern Watch Commander Robert Griffiths said the resident had woken to find their back door unlocked and vehicle missing.
“The resident looked through their residence and found that their back door was opened or had been unlocked and the car keys and some personal items had been removed from the kitchen,” he said.
Following the theft, the vehicle was spotted on a joy ride throughout the CBD and industrial areas before ramraiding a service station in Sadadeen, he said.
“The vehicle was cited a number of times throughout the CBD and Alice Springs industrial areas, including with reported youth occupants leaning out the window,” Sergeant Griffiths said.
“About 4:45am this morning a commercial premises on Spearwood Rd, Sadadeen was ram raided by the same stolen motor vehicle,
“The occupants of the vehicle did not enter the premises and left the vehicle at the location, causing extensive damage to the front of the property.”
Police were unable to apprehend the vehicle which was last seen travelling south on the Stuart Highway around 5am.
Both incidents remain under investigation led by Strike Force Viper with police yet to identify the alleged suspects.
Police urge anybody with information regarding either incident to call 131 444 and quote reference number 10522729.
Police arrest 10 youths after string of thefts in Central Australia
Police have arrested 10 youths across Central Australia following a spate of crimes including vehicle theft.
Officers allege a vehicle was stolen from a home in the suburb of Gillen just after 8am Wednesday.
The vehicle was spotted later in the day in a nearby community where the occupants allegedly damaged a police vehicle with rocks.
Police allege the stolen car was again spotted driving dangerously in the Alice Springs central business district about 7.20pm.
Strike Force Viper and the Dog Operations Unit were deployed to safely intercept the vehicle.
Tyre deflation devices were used to successfully stop the vehicle at 8.20pm, with the alleged offenders fleeing into the bushland surrounding the Todd River.
Police chased them down and arrested the eight boys without further incident.
The six 12-year-olds, a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old will be dealt with in accordance with the Youth Justice Act and made subject to interagency interventions through Operation Drina.
Commander James Gray-Spence said it was sad to see “frontline members have been targeted” once again.
“I commend the hard work of our frontline members who responded and quickly apprehended the (youths) before they caused any harm to themselves or the public,” he said.
It follows the arrest of two youths who allegedly stole multiple items and cash from a business in Tennant Creek on the same day.
Police allege the pair, aged 14 and 16, broke into a property on Patterson St about 7.20am Wednesday, where they stole property and cash from the premises.
Tennant Creek officers identified the alleged offenders through CCTV, and found the youths a short time later at a nearby home.
Police said the youths were allegedly in possession of the stolen items when they found them.
The youths have since been charged with multiple property offences and remanded to appear in court on Thursday.
Police urge the public to report all instances of crime and anti-social behaviour to police on 131 444.
Man on the run after allegedly stabbing partner
NT Police are hunting a man who fled the scene after allegedly stabbing his partner multiple times in the remote community of Ali Curung.
Police received reports the woman had been assaulted multiple times with a knife, suffering lacerations to her back about midnight Wednesday.
Police said the alleged offender, her partner, had fled the scene and is actively avoiding police.
The woman was treated at the local clinic and will be taken to Alice Springs Hospital for further treatment.
Ali Curung is located 170km south of Tennant Creek and 378km north of Alice Springs.
Detectives urge anyone who witnessed the incident to make contact on 131 444 or through their local station.
Man allegedly stabbed by relative on hospital lawns
A 46-year-old man is lucky to be alive after he was allegedly stabbed by a relative in Alice Springs.
NT Police Southern Watch Commander Robert Griffiths said an argument between a man and a woman – who was allegedly carrying a kitchen knife – was reported at 2.15pm Wednesday.
Sergeant Griffiths said police attended the scene on the hospital lawns on Stuart Tce and found the man had a stab wound to his leg.
He said police provided initial first aid to the man to “stem the bleeding” until St John NT paramedics arrived.
Sergeant Griffiths said the man’s injuries were non-life threatening.
He said the 63-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault.
Sergeant Griffiths said the woman would front the Alice Springs local court on Thursday.
Eight kids allegedly steal car, attack and evade police vehicle
Eight kids have been arrested after they stole a car from an Alice Springs home.
NT Police Southern Watch Commander Robert Griffiths said the car was allegedly stolen from a Hong St home about 7.30am Wednesday.
Sergeant Griffiths said the car was spotted on White Gums Rd about 3pm, where police attended and found the car allegedly being driven dangerously.
He said the car’s occupants allegedly threw rocks at police, smashing a window of the car but not injuring the officers in the vehicle.
Sergeant Griffiths said the car allegedly evaded police and was spotted driving erratically through Alice Springs CBD in the early evening.
He said a tyre deflation device was deployed and successfully stopped the car and eight children emerged from the five-seater vehicle.
Sergeant the kids – all aged between 11 and 13 – were detained.
School’s damage costs thousands after break-in
An Alice Springs primary school has sustained thousands of dollars worth of damage following an overnight break-in. Southern Watch Commander Andrew Dunne said police were patrolling the Gillen area when they heard alarms blaring at Bradshaw Primary School about 11.45pm Tuesday.
Sergeant Dunne said three windows in the administrative building had been smashed and two fire extinguishers were discharged, causing $6000 worth of damage.
He said nothing had been stolen and a forensics team would investigate on Wednesday.
In an unrelated incident, Sergeant Dunne said police received reports of alleged intruders at the YMCA on Sadadeen Rd about 1am Wednesday.
He said police reviewed CCTV at the scene and identified an alleged offender nearby.
Sergeant Dunne said the 15-year-old boy “had no dealings” with police previously, and was therefore returned to the care of a responsible adult.
He said the boy would be dealt with under provisions of the Youth Justice Act.
Sergeant Dunne said CCTV operators identified a stolen car driving erratically throughout the Alice Springs CBD about 2am Wednesday in another unrelated incident.
He said the car was reported stolen two days prior.
Sergeant Dunne said tyre deflation devices were deployed effectively and the car was stopped.
He said five kids – aged between 14 and 17 – got out of the car.
Sergeant Dunne said four were taken home because they had no prior dealings with police, but the fifth – a 15-year-old – was arrested and taken into custody.
Alice Springs man charged with multiple drug offences
A man from Alice Springs has been charged with multiple drug charges after his white Mercedes van was apprehended at a traffic stop.
The 34-year-old was pulled over on Saturday November 18 at 2.30pm in a ‘Drug Detection Area’ on the Stuart Highway, south of Alice.
After being pulled over, Drug Detection Dogs were deployed to search in the vehicle and provided a ‘conditioned response’.
Four large bags were located in the van, containing approximately 45kg of cannabis.
The man was arrested and charged with possessing and supplying a commercial quantity of a dangerous drug.
The man was later remanded and scheduled to appear in Alice Springs Local Court on Monday.
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