Marrickville, Araluen: Four arrested after carjackings, police pursuit

Four minors have been arrested after an inner west carjacking and south coast police pursuit earlier today, with the car found more than 200km away.

Four minors have been arrested after an inner west carjacking and south coast police pursuit, allegedly threatening an elderly man with a weapon before taking his car, polcie said.

The arrests come after a string of alleged carjackings overnight at spots in both the inner west and south coast.

The four arrested teenagers – aged 16, 17, 17 and 18 – allegedly threatened a 22-year-old rideshare driver in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west, around 4am, before taking off with his car.

The driver was not injured.

Four hours later, around 8am, the car – a Toyota Prius – was found alight on Braidwood Rd, Sassafras, more than 200km away. The first officers at the scene put out the burning car and started forensic examination.

The distance between the alleged carjacking in Marrickville and where the car was found ablaze on the south coast.

Around 40 minutes later, officers attached to South Coast Police District received reports a motorist had picked up three hitchhikers on Braidwood Rd, Sassafras.

The three allegedly threatened the driver – a 73-year-old man – with a weapon before stealing his car.

A police pursuit then ensued between officers and the teenagers in the alleged stolen car, before it was found abandoned at Araluen Rd, Araluen. The three teenagers allegedly ran into nearby bushland in the small Southern Tablelands town to flee the cops.

The car, a Mazda sedan, was seized by officers at the scene.

Local officers and PolAir co-ordinated a large-scale aerial search of the area to find the alleged carjackers, finally locating them in an abandoned house in Reidsdale, just before 2pm.

They were arrested and taken to Nowra Police Station. The fourth male was arrested at Narellan Police Station earlier today.

Inquiries continue.