Police arrest three teen car thieves in separate incidents across Toowoomba

Police were called to a busy Toowoomba street after reports two teenage thieves were changing a flat tyre on a stolen car. Here’s what happened next.

There was a fair bit of excitement at the otherwise peaceful Northridge Salem Retirement Village after police cornered two car thieves in the complex.

Toowoomba Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker said police were called to Mort Street about 6.45pm on Tuesday after a resident reported seeing suspicious character changing the tyre of a stolen Mazda2.

That vehicle was stolen from a Westbrook home on September 11 between 5-6pm after the owner left its keys inside it while it was parked in a garage.

“That vehicle has been active in the Toowoomba area since that date,” Sgt McCusker said.

“A number of different registration plates were on that vehicle between when it was stolen and when it was located by police.”

The offenders fled when they saw police and were tracked by Toowoomba Property Crime Unit and Tactical Crime Squad officers to Harth Street in North Toowoomba where they dumped the car and fled on foot.

“Member of the public assisted in tracking the movements of the two people who had decamped from the vehicle,” Sgt McCusker said.

“They were located in a nearby retirement village.”

Investigators have charged a 17-year-old girl with dangerous operation of a vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, unlicensed driving and obstructing police.

A 15-year-old boy is charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, entering a premises and stealing.

They will face the Toowoomba Childrens Court today.

In an unrelated matter police have charged an 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy over the theft of a Nissan X-Trail from an Ipswich address.

The vehicle was reported stolen from Ringwood on September 11 and the older of the pair was captured CCTV while stealing fuel from a fuel station soon after.

Police attended an address in Cooper Ave in Oakey on Monday where they located the vehicle and the two offenders.

The 18-year-old man is charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing while the 15-year-old is charged with burglary, unlicensed driving and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The elder appeared in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until a date in October.