BALLARAT, VIC. — A dedicated car theft team in Ballarat has this week charged an alleged prolific car thief with more than 30 offences.
The 15-year-old boy was first spotted by police in an allegedly stolen Volkswagen Touareg on Kennedys Road in Minners Rest about 11.10pm on Saturday, June 13.
Police had been called to the location after a member of the public reported the car was stationary in the middle of the road.
The car – which had allegedly been stolen a day earlier in Lucas – took off upon police arrival towards Gillies Street in Lake Wendouree where officers successfully deployed stop sticks.
The vehicle continued for a short distance before coming to a stop on the same road.
The driver ran into a nearby educational facility before being arrested by police.
Police located $4,200 on the teen, and a search of the vehicle located phones, cash, drug paraphernalia and allegedly stolen goods linked to multiple thefts from cars in the area.
A subsequent search warrant at the boy’s address located:
-
- 40 allegedly stolen bank and identification cards;
-
- Three allegedly stolen registration plates;
-
- Quantities of drugs, including methylamphetamine and cannabis;
-
- An allegedly stolen passport, mobile phone, keys and a handbag.
Further investigations also linked the boy to eight additional vehicle thefts across multiple Ballarat suburbs between March 17 and June 13.
This includes a $55,000 Kia Sportage, which was allegedly stolen from a Clarendon address on June 7.
The boy was later charged with 37 offences, including nine counts of car theft, four counts of theft from a motor vehicle, five counts of attempted theft from a motor vehicle, four counts of theft, dangerous driving while being pursued by police, and failing to stop on police direction.
He was remanded to appear before a children’s court at a later date.
The Ballarat Divisional Crime Investigation Team also arrested two men, aged 23 and 37 at the boy’s address.
Both were charged with handling stolen goods and drug possession offences.
The Ballarat Divisional Crime Investigation Team launched in late March to target rising car thefts in the Ballarat area.
Since then, the dedicated team – made up of detectives, Highway Patrol officers, and uniform police – has arrested more than 70 alleged thieves, laid 160 charges and recovered 270 stolen vehicles.
Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
