By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
A CITIZEN’S arrest brought an 18-year-old from Berwick to justice after two days of rampaging through Casey in an allegedly stolen car.
Police said a carjacking started a string of crimes on Sunday 12 June, when the teen is alleged to have jumped in a gold Nissan Maxima while the owner was loading the boot with groceries, at the Parkhill Plaza in Berwick, about 10.15pm.
The Nissan, with registration QUR 075, was running with its keys in the ignition at the time it was taken.
The following day, the car was used to steal petrol from a Caltex service station in Berwick before it nearly caused a multi-vehicle car crash in Cranbourne North.
Between 12.40pm and 1.15pm that same day, the stolen car was seen driving erratically on the wrong side of the road at the intersection of Thompsons Road and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.
Several drivers had to take swift action to avoid colliding with the stolen Nissan.
Later that same day the Maxima crashed into a car after trying to overtake a person turning right into the Berwick Church of Christ on Centre Road. Both cars sustained serious damage.
The teenager tried to run away from the scene of the accident but was arrested by a witness of the crash and was held in a citizen’s arrest until police arrived.
The witness was bitten on the chest while holding the suspect and sustained redness and bruising.
The 18-year-old was arrested and charged with 10 offences including theft of a motor car, dangerous driving, recklessly causing injury, unlicensed driving and possession of cannabis and methamphetamine.
Detectives from Casey CIU are requesting that anyone who saw the stolen car around Berwick and Cranbourne North areas to call Detective Senior Constable David Sweeney on 9705 3178.
