Sixteen-year-old girl arrested for alleged Toowoomba carjacking

Two young girls have been charged with multiple offences, after they stole an elderly woman's vehicle in broad daylight at a popular Toowoomba shopping centre.

Police have now charged two teenage girls over a violent daylight carjacking at Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre last week. 

It is alleged the two  girls approached a 76-year-old woman who was sitting in her car having just finished shopping about 4.30pm on Wednesday.

The girls are said to have demanded that the woman handover the vehicle and when she refused they pulled her out, punched her in the head several times and fled in the hatchback along Anzac Ave.

The elderly woman was transported to the Toowoomba Hospital where she was treated for bruising on her head and cuts and abrasions on her hands and arms.

The girls were sighted in the stolen grey 2013 Holden Cruze in Wilsonton about 11.45am on Thursday and again at 1pm at the Puma Service Station on Taylor Street where they attempted to steal fuel.

It is understood a service station employee confronted the girls and they fled on foot leaving the hatchback behind.

On Saturday Toowoomba police arrested and charged one of the girls, aged 16, with two counts of robbery and one count each of entering premises, attempted robbery and stealing.

Police confirmed on Monday evening the 14-year-old Toowoomba co-offender was charged  with two counts of robbery and one count each of enter premises, attempted robbery and stealing.

Both were dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justices Act.

The arrests come at the end of a week where several elderly Toowoomba residents were targeted by violent teenage offenders.

Darling Downs Superintendent David Briese urged residents to be mindful of their safety and to keep their homes and vehicles secure at all times.

He pointed out that 67 per cent of the vehicle thefts in Toowoomba in March involved an offender taking advantage of an unlocked door or window on a dwelling, vehicle or garage.

“Sadly the days of hanging your car keys on a hook beside your door are over,” he said.

“This should serve to remind everyone how important it is to ensure you take security measures with your property.”

The Downs District Office has deployed additional resources to tackle property crime, including assigning extra officers from the Toowoomba Tactical Crime Squad and the Police Liaison Officers.

A spokeswoman from the Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said the State Government strengthened its laws to protect the community from teenage offenders.

“The Toowoomba community rightly expects young offenders to be held to account for their actions and so do we,” she said.

“Queensland now has the toughest youth bail laws in the country. This has seen more young offenders being remanded in custody and being held there longer. They included a presumption against bail for repeat offenders who commit a crime while on bail.

“The Government is firmly committed to giving courts the tools they need to help protect communities from high-risk repeat youth offenders and to hold them to account.

“We are working hard to address youth offending in Toowoomba and keep the community safe.”