Police have arrested five children, including three from Pakenham, after the alleged theft of a motor vehicle in Narre Warren which led to a prolonged police pursuit through the early hours of Friday 5 April.
It is alleged the children stole a black Audi S3 from a home on the Princes Highway at about 9.30pm on Thursday night 4 April.
Shortly after, the Audi was allegedly involved in a petrol drive-off at a service station, further along the Princes Highway in Beaconsfield.
Police sighted the allegedly stolen Audi travelling erratically and at a fast rate of speed on the Princes Highway in Chadstone about 2am Friday morning.
Despite officers successfully deploying a tyre deflation device, the Audi allegedly continued to travel at speeds exceeding 150km/h, on its rims, throughout Clayton and Wheelers Hill. Police commenced a pursuit.
The Audi allegedly drove through a roadworks area, forcing a worker to jump from the vehicles path to avoid being struck. The worker was not physically injured.
As the vehicle reached Scoresby, police successfully deployed a second tyre deflation device.
The allegedly stolen Audi continued to travel at speeds of up to 130km/h, until finally coming to a stop at the intersection of High Street and Stud Road in Rowville.
Police vehicles boxed in the Audi and officers swiftly arrested five children at the scene.
A 15-year-old Pakenham girl and a 16-year-old Warragul girl were both cautioned in relation to theft.
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 bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.
Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit were assisted Operation Trinity, which runs every single night until dawn in Victoria Police’s most well-resourced frontline policing operation at present.
There are 70 additional police rostered each night, on top of existing patrols.
This includes frontline officers, Highway Patrol members, the Dog Squad, Public Order Response Team, and Air Wing.
As a result of this intense focus, police have made over 1,400 arrests relating to burglaries and car thefts – with the overwhelming majority of these offenders’ children. A further 2300 night shift arrests have also been made for other criminal offending due to the strong police presence as part of Operation Trinity.
