Police arrest third alleged teen car thief in three week period on Gold Coast
Police have arrested yet another teenager allegedly driving a stolen car in what feels like groundhog day for the Gold Coast’s out of control youth crime wave. SEE DETAILS
Police & Courts
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Police have arrested a third alleged teenage car thief in just three weeks as youth crime on the Gold Coast spirals out of control.
It comes after a 13-year-old boy allegedly stole a Range Rover in Carrara and crashed it in Ashmore, followed by a 15-year-old boy allegedly stealing a Honda Accord and crashing in Nerang early Thursday morning.
In the latest incident, a 15-year-old boy was charged after a stolen vehicle from Maroochydore was spotted by police travelling on Tamborine Oxenford Road in Wongawallan.
Shortly after 11am on Monday, police attempted to intercept the vehicle, with the driver reversing into a police car and ramming another vehicle in front, police will allege.
Police then arrested the boy.
No one was injured.
He was charged with one count each of stealing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, evade police, unlicensed driving, dangerous driving, obstruct police and possession of a knife in public.
Bail was refused and he is due to face Southport Childrens Court before the end of April.
Police investigations are ongoing, and encourage anyone with information to come forward.
The vehicle was believed to have been stolen from a Maroochydore shopping complex at about 3:30pm on April 16.
A 68-year-old woman reported her Mercedes stolen from a Maroochydore shopping centre when she returned to find it gone at around 3.30pm on April 16.
Cops nab another alleged kiddie car thief, April 14
Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy who allegedly smashed a stolen sedan into a guardrail on the M1 after a 13-year-old was injured in a dramatic stolen car crash last week.
It comes after Coast police recorded almost seven unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences per day on average throughout the 2020-21 financial year.
Queensland Police statewide figures show children were the worst offenders.
In the latest incident in the city, the 15-year-old allegedly crashed at Nerang in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Police believe a stolen red Honda Accord was being driven along the Pacific Motorway (M1) when the young driver “lost control” about 1.10am.
The 2007 model Honda ploughed into a guardrail on the Nerang River Bridge and the teen fled the wreckage.
“He was tracked down by Dog Squad officers in a nearby unit complex,” a Gold Coast police spokeswoman said.
“The 2007 red Honda Accord had been stolen from a residence at Andrew Ave at Broadbeach a short time earlier.”
Investigations were ongoing and the boy had not been charged by police as of 8.20am.
Meanwhile, the 13-year-old boy who crashed a Range Rover at Ashmore last week has failed to show up to his first court appearance.
The teen – charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, burglary, receiving tainted property, unlicensed driving and careless driving – is thought to be well-known to police.
The new state police report comes as Coast residents have been in an uproar about rampant youth crime in the city, worried about youngsters breaking into their home to make off with keys, which is far and away the most popular way children have been stealing modern cars.
“It’s time they go to big boys jail,” a Bulletin reader commented on Facebook.
Responding to a report of the missed court appearance, another reader said: “Lock him up and throw away the key. Society doesn’t need him.”
While police have copped some criticism, many of those sounding off have criticised courts, complaining of lax sentences and what some have dubbed a ‘catch and release’ policy.
Most city car thefts can be linked to recidivist young offenders, the Bulletin has previously reported.
In the police report, it’s stated the number of unique juvenile offenders was down compared to the previous year – with Commissioner Katarina Carroll lauding the work of officers targeting youth crime.
But figures still show those aged 10-17 have been most likely to be charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle – the offence police use when a child takes a stolen vehicle for a joy ride.
In the financial year, Gold Coast recorded 2417 unlawful use of a motor vehicle charges, slightly fewer than the previous financial year.
In the statewide data, boys accounted for 4137 offences and females 984.
Bond University criminologist Terry Goldsworthy was critical of the annual reports due to its delayed release, but said a recent analysis of police data showed Queensland was the “unlawful use capital of Australia”.
“Stolen vehicles, unlawful use of a motor vehicles is a large problem for the QPS (Queensland Police Service),” he said.
Mr Goldsworthy said children were over represented: “I suspect they think they can get away with it.”
“Once they know the police won’t be able to pursue them … and secondly because they’re not getting the substantial punishment outcomes in court,” he said.
In January, it was revealed a 12-year-old boy was behind bars for fleeing a car taken for a joy ride to the Sunshine Coast, just five weeks after he received lifesaving CPR for crashing another stolen vehicle at Gaven.
The media is prohibited from identifying youth offenders and is usually barred from attending court cases.
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