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Three members of the group have been charged with various offences and bailed to appear before a judge.
Five teenagers were arrested by police after allegedly stealing an Audi and taking it on a 150km/h blast through Melbourne’s eastern suburbs – almost striking a roadworker in the process.
The group is accused of stealing the Audi S3 from a home in Narre Warren on Thursday night, before taking it on a joyride through Beaconsfield – where it’s alleged they filled it up with petrol at a service station and took off without paying.
Police caught up with the teens in Chadstone, where – despite rolling out spikes to burst the Audi’s tyres – the vehicle carried on driving on its rims at speeds of more than 150 km/h through Clayton and Wheelers Hill.
At one stage the Audi allegedly drove through a roadworks area at such a speed it forced a worker to jump out of the way to avoid being run over.
A second ‘stinger’ was deployed by police in Scoresby, finally bringing the chase to a halt down the road in nearby Rowville, and allowing cops to box in the Audi.
Five teenagers were arrested at the scene. A 15-year-old Pakenham girl and a 16-year-old Warragul girl were both cautioned in relation to theft, while a second 15-year-old Pakenham girl and a 15-year-old Pakenham boy have been charged with theft. Both were bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.
A 14-year-old Seaford boy has been charged with theft, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving whilst pursued by police, conduct endangering serious injury and bail offences. He was also bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.
Newly published crime data has shown the number of cars being stolen has risen across Victoria in 2023, with a significant increase in thefts being carried out by children.
The figures, released by Victoria Police last month, reveal car thefts by youths aged between 14 and 17 have jumped by more than 52.7 per cent.
In 2023, there were 1703 car thefts by minors, compared with 1115 recorded in 2022.
“Much of the child and youth offending we’re seeing is mindless and driven by the pursuit of notoriety or social media likes,” Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Neil Paterson APM said in a statement.
“This is highlighted by the fact that police recovered 94 per cent of vehicles stolen during aggravated burglaries as part of Operation Trinity – cars stolen purely for joyriding and no financial gain.”
The post Teenagers narrowly miss worker during Audi joyride appeared first on Drive.
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