Newcastle, Lake Macquarie teens arrested after break and enters

A 13-year-old boy is among seven teens charged by police following allegations of breaking and entering homes and travelling in stolen cars in the NSW Hunter Region.

A 13-year-old boy is among seven teens charged as police investigate a string of break and enters in the NSW Hunter Region.

A 13-year-old boy is among seven teens charged as police investigate a string of break and enters, in which three cars were allegedly stolen, in the state’s Hunter Region.

NSW Police’s Operation Soteria conducted a three-day high-visibility police operation was conducted from May 20 to May 31 in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle.

Seven teens were charged with a combined 18 offences as police continue to investigate alleged break and enters across the region.

On May 27, three vehicles were allegedly stolen following two break and enters in the Kilaben Bay and Kotara South areas.

Five teens were previously charged and remain before the children’s courts.

Another 16-year-old boy was later arrested at a fast-food joint in Cardiff on May 30 after further investigations into that incident and charged with two counts of aggravated breaking and entering.

He was further charged with two counts of being carried in a vehicle taken without the owner’s consent.

The 16-year-old has been refused bail and will next face court on July 7.

In a separate incident on May 31, police arrested a 13-year-old boy in Islington at 1am for alleged property offences and breach of bail.

The child was charged with two counts of trespassing, breaching bail, and intimidation.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in court on June 11.

On the same day, NSW Police also arrested two boys, aged 15 and 16, and a 17-year-old girl at Cardiff train station.

The girl was charged with breaching bail and refused bail by police to face a children’s court on Sunday.

The older boy was charged with five offences including three counts of aggravated break and enter, entering a premises with the intent to commit an offence, and being carried in a vehicle taken without the owner’s consent.

The younger boy was also charged with five offences including breaching bail, two counts of aggravated break and enter, entering a premises with the intent to commit an offence, and being carried in a vehicle taken without the owner’s consent.

The older boy was formally refused bail to appear before a children’s court on June 16, while the younger boy was formally refused bail to appear before a children’s court on July 14.

Operation Surge will be continually rolled out through various deployments.

Operation Soteria involves multiple departments and police forces including Newcastle City and Lake Macquarie Police Districts, Highway Patrol, the Hunter Region Enforcement Squad, Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team, Dog Unit, and Youth Command.

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