Townsville ram raid rampage as thieves hit businesses in 30-minute spree

A trail of destruction swept across Townsville this morning as thieves used stolen vehicles to target four locations in a brazen 30-minute crime spree, leaving small businesses with thousands in damages. WATCH THE CCTV.

A trail of destruction swept across Townsville early on Tuesday morning as thieves used stolen vehicles to target four locations in a brazen 30-minute crime spree, leaving small businesses with thousands in damages.

The rampage began at 4.24am, when a stolen Toyota Prado was used to ram a parked car outside Brumbys Bakery at Parkside Plaza on Bamford Lane, Kirwan.

From there, the Prado next targeted a Wulguru petrol station, crashing into the premises before the offenders made off with the cash register.

Minutes later, the same vehicle smashed into Cre8ive Sk8, a popular skate shop on Ross River Road, stealing several electric scooters.

The spree continued when the Prado was rammed into the front door of the Friendly Grocer store on Abbott Street, Oonoonba, causing extensive damage.

The chaos ended just before 5am when both the Toyota Prado and a stolen Subaru were found abandoned near a creek on Boundary Street, Hermit Park.

Police report the Subaru had been set alight.

The same stolen Toyota Prado involved in Tuesday morning’s rampage was filmed chasing a police car in Townsville the day before the alleged spree.

Addressing the incident, Chief Superintendent Graeme Paine said: “When we’re rolling out investigative strategies, we employ a wide range of covert and overt tactics.”

“For operational reasons, I can’t go into detail about what we’ve done or how we’ve done it, but I can say we’re using multiple strategies to monitor vehicles we’ve identified and to bring those responsible into custody safely, while keeping the community safe,” he added.

Investigations are ongoing and no arrests had been made yet in relation to the spree.

“It’s getting ridiculous,” says business owner

Picking up the pieces of his shattered skate shop, Cre8ive Sk8 co-owner Nick Wilson expressed frustration over the escalating crime in Townsville, saying it was “getting ridiculous.”

The ADF veteran said the early morning ram-raid was the third time his store had been hit by thieves since he took it over a little over a year ago.

“At about 4.20 this morning, I got a call from the security who monitors the alarms … then I checked the cameras from my phone, could see the cops out the front with the lights flashing, so I jumped up and came down to the shop and met with the police,” Mr Wilson said.

“(Police) said it’s been ram raided by a stolen four wheel drive Prado, and also told me they’ve already hit two other places before me.”

Cre8ive Sk8's was ram raided overnight. Owners Femke and Nick Wilson. Picture: Evan Morgan

After reviewing his CCTV footage, he said the offenders appeared to be six juveniles, aged between 12-15 years, who entered the business disguised with hats, masks, gloves, with “one young kid carrying a knife around”.

Since the business had begun stocking electric scooters, there had been an upswing in the number of criminals targeting it.

“They made a mess of the place trying to get to them … the electric scooters that we sell … I think four were stolen. We managed to get a couple back, the cops found the cars that did it.

CCTV footage shows the ram raid at Cre8ive Sk8 on Ross River Rd at 4.19am on November 26.

“One was burnt out and one was tried to be driven into the creek behind Officeworks there.”

He said the business had needed to bolt their scooters to the floor after a bloke came in and took one out the front door.

They also needed to install a “big bloody cage door” after two adults broke down their back door to steal e-scooters.

Cre8ive Sk8's was ram raided overnight. Owners Femke and Nick Wilson. Picture: Evan Morgan

It comes after the business’ previous owner was also stabbed in an attack some time ago.

He had high hopes that new Premier David Crisafulli would be able to deliver on his promise of ‘adult crime, adult time’, as the city’s crime was “getting out of control”.

“I get some pretty wild characters that come in here, and they’re telling me all the time, they get they get it better in jail, and they do at home, so why wouldn’t they?” he asked

“It’s a game. They go in, see their mates, you know, and get a PlayStation. It’s just the way it is, you know. On the footage I’ve got a young kid with a knife f---ing longer than his arm carrying that around.

“I’m over it, same as everybody else. It’s just getting ridiculous and something needs to be done. Whether it does, who knows?”

‘Only took soft drink and lighters’

The Friendly Grocer, a small store run by Linda and Gary Leong which has been in the family for over 50 years, also bore the brunt of the rampage.

Thieves rammed a stolen car through the store, causing an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 in damage to the automated front doors and parts of the roof.

Damage left after a ram raid at the Friendly Grocer in Oonoonba at 3.34am on November 26. Picture: Natasha Emeck

According to Linda, the suspects, a group of at least six individuals, raced in to see the cash registers only to find they had been left empty and open.

“They were trying to get into the drawers, but thankfully we keep the tills empty overnight,” she explains.

“In the end all they ended up taking was a bottle of soft drink and a couple of lighters which they probably used to torch the cars.”

She said while they had been hit by thieves in the past, this incident looked like it would be their most costly so far.

‘Crime is our priority’: MPs

Newly sworn-in MPs for Mundingburra Janelle Poole and Thuringowa Natalie Marr have urged the community for time so they could use legislation to cut down on Townsville’s crime rates, and said they were frustrated with another spike of break and enters over the weekend.

Four men aged 18 to 40 were charged over an alleged crime spree involving stolen cars and the theft of a police gun at the weekend, alleged to have been stored in an unmarked police vehicle.

Ms Poole, a former career police officer, said she had “total faith” in her former colleagues’ abilities to recover the firearm and in how they would manage the operation.

And she said the new government would make efforts to work with police and to ensure they had what they needed.

“The LNP have also committed to supporting our police and giving them the powers and the legislation they need to do their job, and we will follow through on that,” she said.

“We will communicate with them, we’ll have those conversations and then give them the powers and the extra legislation that they need to be able to do their job.”

Damage left after a ram raid at the Friendly Grocer in Oonoonba at 3.34am on November 26. Picture: Natasha Emeck

The new parliamentarians were frustrated at the crime spike, and were working hard behind the scenes to understand parliamentary and legislative processes, and were at parliament on Tuesday being sworn-in.

“I have committed to the community of Mundingburra that we will deliver the Making Qld Safer Legislation by Christmas,” Ms Poole said.

Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr said she was “very aware of what’s happening” and was determined to follow through with her promises to address the crime levels.

“I just ask the community to give us the time and the patience, we will deliver what we committed to during the campaign and when we have our Making Queensland Safer Laws we know it will change things, not overnight, but it will give the community the confidence that we are going to continue to make sure that crime’s our priority.

“And it’s definitely mine.”

She said cabinet ministers were also speaking to judges and to police officers and she believed the support was there to make the legislative changes.

Townsville MP Adam Baillie could not be reached for comment.

Originally published as Townsville ram raid rampage as thieves hit businesses in 30-minute spree