Police call for help after thieves steal car containing 11yo

An 11-year-old girl was left traumatised after being forced out of a car by thieves in a brazen daylight carjacking in a busy supermarket car park. Now police have issued a warning following another disturbing incident.

An 11-year-old girl was left traumatised after being forced out of a car by thieves in a brazen daylight carjacking in a busy supermarket car park on Monday, September 18.

Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Bishop of Bundaberg police said a male aged between 15 and 25 entered a white Peugeot GT SUV parked in the Olsen’s Corner carpark at the corner of Walker and Barolin Streets in Bundaberg South around 10.15am on Monday.

He was described by witnesses as being caucasian with brown hair, having a clean cut appearance and wearing a cap and sunglasses at the time of the carjacking at Olsen’s Corner.

The 11-year-old girl was in the back seat of the car, which was unlocked and had the engine running while her parents were shopping in the nearby Foodworks.

After getting into the car, the man told the girl to get out before driving it out of the car park and along Barolin St in the direction of Thabeban, accompanied by a red Mitsubishi Outlander driven by a female also aged between 15 and 25.

The thieves stole a white Peugeot GT SUV from the carpark of Olsen's Corner before driving along Barolin St in the direction of Thabeban.

Detective Bishop said the girl was “quite traumatised” by the incident but sustained no physical injuries, and her parents called police soon after despite being in a “frantic” state.

After attending the scene and taking statements from witnesses, police located the stolen Peugeot at a Thabeban address where they continue to make inquiries.

Later on Monday, two people entered a home in Redridge at 11.50am and threatened the sole female occupant of the home with a knife while demanding the keys to her car, a Kia Rio sedan, which they took off in soon afterwards.

“It was certainly very traumatic for that lady with the knife being produced to steal her car and she’s alone on a rural property,” Detective Bishop said.

Soon after attending the address in response to this incident, police found the red Mitsubishi Outlander which was used in the earlier incident, and which was identified as stolen from a Gympie address on the weekend.

Detective Bishop said he believes the same offenders were involved in both incidents, but police are still in the process of gathering evidence before concluding that they are linked.

He said he understands the two offenders have left the Bundaberg area, and police are searching for them.

“It’s a serious matter and we’re going to be devoting all the resources as we currently are at this minute to locating these people,” the detective said.

Detective Michael Bishop urged parents to take better precautions and avoid leaving children alone in an unlocked car with the engine running.

Members of the public with any dashcam footage of the area near Olsen’s Corner at 10.15am on Monday are encouraged to contact police via Policelink or Crimestoppers.

More broadly, Detective Bishop said it would have been “alarming” if the car was stolen from Olsen’s Corner with the 11-year old girl still a passenger, and he urged parents to take better precautions.

“Any sort of crime like that is alarming, and it would be quite alarming to us if that 11-year old child had been taken.

“It’s probably a good reminder to even if you’re going to the shop for five minutes, perhaps not to leave your children in the car with the engine running.”

The string of offences comes as police search for two teenagers who allegedly crashed a stolen car near Boonooroo on the Fraser Coast before fleeing into thick bushland on Monday.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.

Quote this reference number: QP2301556736

Originally published as Police call for help after thieves steal car containing 11yo