Arrested: 21-year-old locked up hours after alleged violent robbery at knifepoint

Toowoomba police have made an arrest after a number of community members were threatened at knifepoint at the weekend while a young man allegedly went on a crime spree across the city.

Picture: File / Kevin Farmer

Four hours after Toowoomba police received reports that a business on Neil Street was broken into, officers’ dogged pursuit of the alleged offender landed the 21-year-old local in a cell on Saturday.

However, before the 21-year-old man’s arrest at 6.30am on Saturday, police allege he committed multiple crimes across the city, the most serious of which was a violent robbery.

A police spokesman said about 2.50am, the man allegedly broke into a business on Neil Street before next trying to break into a home on Kate Street in Harlaxton, just after 4am.

“He allegedly attempted to break into a vehicle… (and) failed to gain entry and has left the address,” he said.

In East Toowoomba at 5.40am, the spokesman said the man used violence while allegedly attempting to rob a man of his car at a service station on Mary Street.

“(He) allegedly threatened the other with a knife and demanded his keys, before getting into the other man’s car,” he said.

“He couldn’t start the car and then left on foot.

“The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident.

Police denied the man bail and he is set to appear in court on Monday.

“It will be further alleged the man attended another service station on Cohoe Street, East Toowoomba, just after 6am and threatened an attendant with a knife, before stealing a quantity of cash from the register and leaving the scene on foot.”

Officers conducting extensive patrols of the city located the man on Plant Street, Rangeville, about 6.30am.

“He was taken into custody and a search of him located evidence,” the spokesman said.

“A knife was located nearby his location.”

The 21-year-old Toowoomba man was charged with one count of stealing, one count of entering premises with intent to commit indictable offence, one count of attempted robbery while armed and used actual violence, one count of attempted unlawful use of a motor vehicle, one count of trespass, one count of unlawful entry of vehicle for committing indictable offence at night, one count of robbery while armed, one count of common assault and one account of contravene a police direction or requirement.

The man was denied bail and will appear before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, February 10.

Originally published as Arrested: 21-year-old locked up hours after alleged violent robbery at knifepoint