Rampage ends

By Lia Bichel
POLICE believe they have ended a month-long crime spree in Casey which included stealing cars, IDs, credit cards and leading police on high-speed pursuits, with the arrest of a man in Berwick last week.
Police arrested a 25-year-old Clayton man on 12 January. He will face 18 charges from nine incidents over 33 days.
It is alleged the first incident occurred on 20 November. Police said a man stole a Mitsubishi Triton Ute from the car park of the Clayton Swimming Pool and was later seen fleeing the scene when the stolen car crashed into a fence on Carroll Road, Oakleigh South.
Police allege that on 14 December, the same man stole a Honda Civic sedan from the Hallam Railway Station car park, but police have since found it.
The next day, the man stole electrical equipment, jewellery and personal papers from a property in Ada Court, Narre Warren. Police said he left behind a bag containing tools.
The same day, police say he drove a stolen car to a bottle shop where he used stolen credit cards from the Ada Court address to buy $650 worth of alcohol and cigarettes. He then allegedly attended Harvey Norman in Narre Warren and tried to buy three Apple iPads using the same credit card, but it was declined.
On 16 December, the man allegedly stole about $5000 worth of electrical items and personal papers from an address in Kangaroo Road, Chelsea.
Police said he continued his crime spree on 21 December in Springvale. They said the man was spotted driving a stolen Nissan 200SX. Police attempted to stop him, but he was driving in excess of 100km/h in a 60km/h zone so they called off the pursuit.
Police chased the man again after he was spotted in Springvale on 23 December, driving a Mitsibishi Magna sedan he hired using identification stolen from Ada Court. Police said he was driving erratically and caused damage to the car when he hit the kerb. The man fled through the Waltzing Matilda Hotel.
The rampage came to an end on 12 January when police located the man at a house in Berwick, and found IDs stolen from the Narre Warren and Chelsea property.
He was arrested, charged and remanded in custody until 12 February, when he will appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.