Tourist assaulted in brazen robbery near the Strand

A night stroll turned into a nightmare after a tourist was robbed near Townsville’s iconic Strand with two young female thugs now on the run.

A tourist was recently robbed near the Strand. Picture: Evan Morgan

A night stroll turned into a nightmare after a tourist was robbed near Townsville’s iconic Strand, with two young female thugs now on the run.

The incident unfolded when two young female offenders targeted an unsuspecting visitor around 9:30pm on Monday in North Ward, swiping their mobile and attempting to steal their vehicle, though the car theft was ultimately unsuccessful.

Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Caswell, officer in charge of the Townsville Criminal Investigation Branch, said the tourist was assaulted but thankfully not seriously injured after the brazen attack.

“The tourist was assaulted but is okay,” he said.

Senior Sergeant Caswell described the incident as an “opportunistic type offence”, suggesting the criminals saw and seized a moment of vulnerability.

“Anyone in the North Ward area around 9.30pm with CCTV or dash cam footage depicting two youths is critical to our investigation,” he said.

Anyone with information is urged to call police or Crimestoppers.

Originally published as Tourist assaulted in brazen robbery near the Strand