Moree and Wyong teen arrests after break in, car stolen

A woman has been charged with recruiting a teen as part of a violent crime spree in the state’s north west as police continue their crackdown on youth crime in the region.

Two teenagers have been charged over a home invasion in north west NSW that left one man with a broken nose.

Officers from Operation Soteria arrested the 17-year-old boy and the 19-year-old woman in Moree on Thursday as part of its ongoing crackdown on youth crime in regional NSW.

The charges relate to an alleged assault at a property on Amaroo Drive, Moree on Friday, February 14.

Investigators from New England Police District were told the 58-year-old man and 56-year-old female occupants had allegedly been assaulted by two males, who then stole two SUVs.

Both vehicles were found abandoned in Moree later that day.

Moree arrests April 3 2025

Following inquiries, about 9am on Thursday, Moree detectives and Operation Soteria investigators arrested a 17-year-old boy on Amaroo Drive at Moree.

He was taken to Moree Police Station and charged with aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence – inflicting actual bodily harm and take and drive a car without the consent of the owner.

Moree arrests on April 3, 2025

He was also charged with four offences over an unrelated incident.

The teen was refused bail and appeared before a children’s court yesterday, where he was formally refused bail to appear at a children’s court on Monday, April 14.

About 8.40am yesterday, officers attached to Operation Soteria executed a search warrant at a home on Howarth Street, Wyong, and arrested a 19-year-old woman.

She was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with five offences including stalk and intimidate, recruiting a child to carry out/assist in a criminal activity and breach of bail.

Moree arrests April 3, 2025.

She was refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court yesterday before she was formally refused bail to appear at Moree Local Court on Monday June 2.

Operation Soteria was launched last month to address an escalation of violence in young offenders across Western and Northern parts of the State, with a focus on aggravated break, enter and steal offences, stealing motor vehicles and ‘post and boast’ offences where youths use social media to gain notoriety for their crimes.

A new unit of 60 police was formed as the operational arm, with additional officers from the NSW Police Crime Prevention and Youth Command engaging in community outreach and diversion efforts.

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