Teen girl boasted online of riding in stolen SUV police allege
A TEENAGE girl involved in the high-speed hit-run death of a newlywed couple in Wantirna South boasted online about riding in the stolen SUV as rap music blared in the background.
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A TEENAGE girl involved in the high-speed hit-run death of a newlywed couple boasted online about riding in the stolen SUV as rap music blared in the background.
The chilling footage posted by the 15-year-old to her Instagram account on Friday appeared to have been taken inside the stolen Lexus, which police allege later hit and killed Matt Goland and Bita Zaeim.
The short video, shot from the passenger seat, shows the vehicle being driven around suburban Melbourne.
TEENS CHARGED OVER ALLEGED FATAL HIT-RUN CRASH
The vehicle’s owner, Monna Mostafa, insisted that the video was shot in her Lexus.
“That is 100 per cent my car,” she told the Herald Sun on Monday. “I cannot believe it.”
The Herald Sun can also reveal that the girl’s 19-year-old co-accused, Eric Victorsen, was due in court soon on drug- and theft-related charges.
At one stage, police had been following the stolen Lexus but were unable to intercept it. Deputy Commissioner Doug Fryer confirmed unmarked police cars briefly tailed it at about 9.30am on Friday but had lost it in traffic.
“We were happy to engage. We saw it for a very short time. We were unable to get to it because of traffic. We lost sight of the vehicle before we were in a position to intercept,” he said.
A police helicopter could not be dispatched to the area because of heavy fog.
It is alleged the girl and Mr Victorsen stole the $170,000 Lexus last Thursday evening. Ms Mostafa spotted it about 9am the next day in Rowville.
“I called police and began following my car myself,” she said.
“The first police officer I spoke with told me not to pursue.” Ms Mostafa said she soon lost the Lexus as it was being driven at high speed, and then gave up tailing it as it “became too dangerous”. She claimed the driver ran two red lights.
“I woke to the tragic news on Saturday morning that two people lost their lives. It is just devastating,” she said.
Police allege Mr Victorsen was behind the wheel at the time of the death crash on Saturday.
He is charged with two counts of culpable driving and car theft. The 15-year-old girl smiled as she entered a children’s court yesterday for a brief hearing. She is charged with two counts of culpable driving as an accessory after the fact and one of car theft.
The girl made no application for bail, but her lawyer indicated that an application would be made.
Newlyweds Mr Goland, 38, and Ms Zaeim, 32, were on the way home to The Basin. He died in the wreckage and she died on the way to hospital.
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