Police investigate Casuarina and Darwin City assaults

Police allege a group of young boys and an adult were behind a series of crime sprees through Casuarina and Darwin City.

THREE teenagers and an adult have been arrested in relation to an alleged crime spree in the Casuarina area on Friday.

Police allege the four assaulted and stole from people and threatened a pregnant shop attendant.

Northern Watch Commander Meacham King said the alleged spree started at 2.30pm on August 19 when a 12-year-old-boy was assaulted and had his money stolen by a 10-year-old and nine-year-old at the Casuarina Interchange.

Less than an hour later, police claim a 12-year-old boy was allegedly assaulted by the same duo and had the shoes he was wearing stolen.

“Police located the 10-year-old and the nine-year-old boys and took them both home to a responsible adult and then about 4.15pm those same two offenders attended the Casuarina Interchange,” Cmdr King said.

“They assaulted a 15-year-old boy on his pushbike and they assaulted a couple of other people in the area.

“We’re appealing for witnesses around the Casuarina Interchange about 4.15pm on Friday afternoon.”

Police said a 20-year-old and three teens aged 13, 14, and 17 were found with the help of the Dog Operations Unit on Monday in relation to the assaults.

Police have not revealed what their involvement was in the incidents.

Police said the 13-year-old and 14-year-old would be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act, while the 17-year-old and 20-year-old were charged with one count engage in violent conduct.

Police said the same 10-year-old involved in Friday’s incident was a culprit in other alleged crimes, including the theft of alcohol from the Vintage Cellars in Darwin City on Saturday at 11am.

“The shop attendants locked the doors and called the police, in which case that 10-year-old had allegedly returned with some other boys and proceeded to kick the doors, threatening the owner and the other shop assistant who was a pregnant female,” Cmdr King said.

It is alleged the boy fled before cops arrived and in the following hours at 2pm, the same 10-year-old and two 11-year-olds assaulted a 13-year-old boy with a baseball bat after he refused to give the group his money.

Police say they were able to eventually find and arrest the three boys. They were taken to the Palmerston Watch house.

“All three of them, other than one 11-year-old, were on bail for a range of matters and all three of them have been remanded in custody,” Cmdr King said.

“It’s very lucky with some of these assaults that the victims were not seriously injured.

“This sort of behaviour and the level of violence being used to steal is unusual. We don’t get that level of crime that often and especially at that young age.”

The three boys are expected to appear in court on Monday.

Originally published as Police investigate Casuarina and Darwin City assaults