Police charge two young men after string of robberies

Police will allege the offenders injured a man and a woman in separate robberies across the Darling Downs before a dramatic arrest.

Two arrested after string of robberies in the Darling Downs

A wild crime spree that left a trail of victims across the Darling Downs has ended with a dramatic arrest at the University of Southern Queensland.

At 7.25am on Wednesday, three unknown men entered a Gwenda Drive residence at Westbrook where they were confronted by the occupants, a 39-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man.

The woman suffered a head injury in the disturbance before the alleged offenders fled in a stolen grey Nissan Qashqai (Qld rego 063AN3) suspected to have been driven by a fourth person.

Paramedics transported the woman to the Toowoomba Base Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

A short time later, at about 11.45am, two people gained entry to a Hill Street home where a 58-year-old man was confronted inside the property.

The alleged offenders demanded that he hand over his car keys.

He refused and was assaulted before one of the alleged offenders threatened him with a knife.

The alleged offenders have made further unsuccessful attempts to locate the man’s car keys in the house before stealing personal items and fleeing the scene in a stolen white MG3.

The occupant of the house was treated for minor injuries.

Police allege the MG3 was stolen just after 6am from a Cole Drive address in Highfields.

It was tracked to Baker Street in Darling Heights where police deployed a tyre deflation device.

The alleged offenders attempted to escape on foot, with one running through the UniSQ campus before he was arrested by police, with the assistance of campus security.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with 21 offences including 11 counts of burglary, two counts of armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm, stealing, wounding, receiving tainted property, evade police and wilful damage.

He was due to appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with five offences including one count of enter dwelling with intent, robbery armed in company, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, receiving tainted property and enter premises with intent to commit.

He is due to appear in Toowoomba Children’s Court today.

Police are appealing for anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the two other men involved in the Westbrook incident and the stolen Nissan Qashqai to contact them.

Investigations continue.

Anyone with information about the incidents is urged to phone Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.