Boy, 13, charged after alleged break and enters at Catherine Cr, Ballina

Police have charged a 13-year-old with allegedly breaking into multiple homes and stealing car keys on the state’s north coast. The child was allegedly already on bail at the time.

Crime generic. Picture: File.

A teenager has been charged after he allegedly broke into multiple homes on the state’s north coast and nicked a set of car keys.

About 7am on March 19, police were told two homes had allegedly been broken into at Catherine Cr, Ballina.

At one of the homes, a set of car keys had allegedly been stolen, while the alleged offender was chased out of the second home empty-handed.

Police arrested a 13-year-old. Generic image.

After an investigation, Richmond Police District officers stopped and spoke with a 13-year-old boy riding a bicycle nearby.

Police will allege in court the boy was in possession of the car keys stolen from one of the homes.

The 13-year-old was arrested and taken to Ballina Police Station where he was charged with two counts of aggravated break and enter with intent, having goods suspected of being stolen, larceny and breach of bail.

He appeared before a children’s court on Tuesday and was granted strict conditional bail.

He is next due to appear before the same court on Tuesday April 23, 2024.

The teen was granted bail after two alleged home break-ins. Generic image.

The 13-year-old’s arrest comes just after police charged three other teenage boys, aged between 13 and 15, over an alleged break and enter at Phillip St, Goonellabah.

Richmond Police District officers attended a Goonellabah address about 11.15am on Monday, March 18, and arrested the trio.

The youngest boy was charged with breaching bail and aggravated break and enter.

The 14-year-old boy was charged with aggravated break and enter and being armed with the intent to commit an indictable offence.

The 15-year-old was charged with breaching bail.