Teens charged after after alleged armed robbery spree in Audi stolen from Helensvale
The police commissioner says she is ‘very concerned’ about youth offenders having access to firearms after a group of four teenagers allegedly held people at gunpoint in multiple robberies. Watch the CCTV
Gold Coast
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Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has expressed concern youth offenders had access to firearms after teens allegedly used a gun in multiple robberies across southeast Queensland.
Video footage shared to social media by the alleged offenders showed them flaunting weapons while driving in an Audi S3 stolen from a house on Helensvale’s Clover Way on Saturday night.
One teen can be heard saying: “Look at that s***, cuz. Show them the guns.”
Police said the car was used in a number of alleged incidents, beginning at 3.30am on Sunday when a boy entered a Gardiner Road service station in Holmview allegedly wielding a gun and demanding the till be handed over.
Just five minutes later at 3.35am, police allege a boy wielding a gun stole the cash register from a Juers Road service station in Kingston.
A third robbery occurred at Tribe Coffee Co. in Brisbane’s Ascot at 6am before the car was spotted returning to the Gold Coast, where it allegedly crashed into a Mazda 2 on Foxwell Road around 9.50am.
Two people were spotted running from the car, with one allegedly injuring a woman on Beattie Drive as they attempted to make their escape.
One person was arrested on Waterways Drive, with a gun found nearby.
The damaged car managed to leave Coomera and travel north before police used tire spikes to stop the vehicle on Logan’s George Street at 10am.
Two people were found inside the car who were both arrested, while two guns were taken by police.
Speaking on the Gold Coast on Monday morning, Commissioner Carroll said it was concerning that guns had allegedly been used.
“That’s very concerning for me,” Commissioner Carroll said.
“Even (using) a replica in the commission of an offence is obviously an offence.
“So it is concerning that they’re allegedly using both, but definitely rifles, that they have access to them.”
CCTV footage of the third alleged robbery, at Tribe Coffee Co. in Brisbane, showed two hooded youths, one armed with a rifle and the other with a pistol, allegedly threatening a worker at the shop as she was opening the store about 6am.
They allegedly demanded her belongings, yelling “all of it, all of it”.
The employee is heard asking the boy “what’s that?”, and he allegedly replies “it’s a f--king gun, c--t”.
The thieves allegedly made off with her bag, which contained her phone and other items, but were unable to get into the till. Scared they would come back, the worker then hid in the back yard of a neighbouring house until they left and waited for help.
Tribe Coffee Co. owner Mark Hardingham said his staff member was “shaken”.
“It was pretty confronting for her,” Mr Hardingham said.
It was the third time in 14 months the shop has been targeted.
Mr Hardingham said youth crime was “beyond a joke”.
“You want to employ young people and give them a safe working environment, but what do you do,” he said.
“It’s sad, a crackdown is needed. It puts a lot of businesses at risk.”
Ms Carroll said police on the Gold Coast responded “very quickly” to youth crime incidents and put alleged offenders before courts.
In relation to the alleged crime spree at the weekend, an 18-year-old Woodridge man was charged with armed robbery in company and will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
A 15-year-old Crestmead boy was charged with one count each of enter dwelling and commit, unlawful use of motor vehicle and armed robbery and will appear in Beenleigh Children's Court at a later date.
A 15-year-old Coomera boy was charged with one count each of unlawful use of motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
A 14-year-old Eagleby boy was charged with one count each of unlawful use of motor vehicle and receiving tainted property.
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