Teenage thieves stole vehicle before Christmas, arrested on Boxing Day
A Gold Coast e-commerce entrepreneur who did a citizen’s arrest of two teens erratically driving a stolen vehicle says one cried his “Mum’s gonna kill me”. Read his account of the bust.
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A Gold Coast e-commerce entrepreneur who did a citizen’s arrest of two teens erratically driving a stolen vehicle says one cried his “Mum’s gonna kill me”.
Bradley Cowper, 29, detained a 13 and 14-year-old after the Hyundai iMax van the duo were driving overtook him at speed on Southport Nerang Road on Monday.
“They went past me going at least 100 or 120km/h, almost hit a cyclist,” Mr Cowper said. “I knew something was up.”
Mr Cowper followed the “erratic” driving until they stopped at Ashmore Rd intersection lights, saying it became pretty clear it was stolen
He noticed the two boys inside were wearing Covid masks and gloves - and having been a victim of car theft, the Bonogin man was keen to intervene.
Mr Cowper put his car in park, approached the van and opened the driver’s door.
“I went to try and grab him out, but (the driver) put it in reverse and I actually hurt my hand pretty bad,” Mr Cowper said.
“I was just lucky he didn’t run over my foot.”
The van mounted the median strip and took off in the wrong direction.
Mr Cowper chased the van to a roundabout but lost sight of it.
They had “tried to do an evasive manoeuvre” so he slowed down and later found the vehicle stopped on Warrungen Way, Ashmore.
“There was damage. They hit the kerb trying to take the corner too fast,” Mr Cowper said.
“I got out of the car and they didn’t even try to run. They just stood there, it was weird.”
Mr Cowper said he’d never seen such “petrified” faces: “I’m 6ft 4 and I was running towards (one) and his face was priceless, like he’d seen a ghost”.
The youngster “started begging for his life”, pleading for Mr Cowper not to hurt him.
Mr Cowper shouted to a nearby couple, telling them the van was stolen, and a man quickly helped to detain the duo.
“The one the other guy (detained) kept saying sorry, he was like ‘My mum’s gonna kill me, this is the first time I’ve ever done anything illegal’.”
Neighbours who heard the roundabout crash arrived followed by an off-duty police officer. Police on duty then took the pair into custody.
Mr Cowper said he’d “had enough” of minors breaking the law and “getting away with it”.
“If no one does anything, nothing will happen,” he said. “Who’s going to stop (them)?”
The Bellmere 13-year-old and Upper Caboolture 14-year-old were charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and will appear in Southport Childrens Court at a later date. It follows a vehicle recently reported stolen from Navigator Place, Hendra in Brisbane.
The Gold Coast has had a spree of juvenile car thefts and break-ins in recent days.
A near-nude construction worker Steve Middleton fought off armed would-be car robbers in his underpants in Mermaid Waters. In that incident, he had spotted youths scoping his family vehicles on Boxing Day morning and ended up grappling with a trio armed with a baseball bat and knife. They eventually scarpered in two other stolen vehicles.
Earlier, 10 teens were arrested in Main Beach in two alleged stolen vehicles on Christmas Eve.
State Opposition Leader and Broadwater MP David Crisafulli said youth crime was a growing issue and warned of a “generation of repeat offenders”.
“The Youth Justice Act was watered down and we now have a generation of repeat offenders who know their rights sit above those of the victim,” he said.
“It is a broken revolving door and time and time again families’ lives are torn apart.
“Until there are consequences for their actions, these scenes roll out and they shouldn’t.
“We are better than this as a state and the laws have to change because the rights of victims have to come before repeat offenders.”
Teenage thieves stole vehicle before Christmas, arrested on Boxing Day
December 27, 2022: A Gold Coaster has helped an off-duty police officer detain two teenagers in a dramatic citizen’s arrest after the alleged theft of a vehicle in Brisbane.
In the latest incident involving teens and stolen cars, a clocked-off cop spotted a stolen 2013 Hyundai iMax van on Warrungen Way, in Ashmore, at 7.20am on Boxing Day, according to police.
A concerned road user also helped, with a Bellmere 13-year-old and Upper Caboolture 14-year-old detained until police arrived.
The teens have been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and will appear in Southport Childrens Court at a later date.
It follows the vehicle being reported stolen from a Navigator Place address in Hendra, Brisbane, earlier this week.
The Gold Coast has seen a spree of juvenile car thefts and break-ins in recent days this holiday season.
A near-nude construction worker Steve Middleton fought off a group of would-be robbers in his underpants in Mermaid Waters. In that incident, he had spotted youths scoping his family vehicles on Boxing Day morning and ended up grappling with a trio armed with a baseball bat and knife. They eventually scarpered in two other stolen vehicles.
Earlier, 10 teens were arrested in Main Beach in two alleged stolen vehicles on Christmas Eve.
In yet another drama, five Grinches nicked Christmas presents and three luxury cars from an Upper Coomera house on Xmas Day.
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