Stolen ute connected to late- night robbery

A UTE stolen from a home in Mount Low has been used to commit a number of crimes between Townsville and Ayr.

It is unknown how many people were in the vehicle, with police believing several people had swapped in and out of the ute from when it was stolen on Sunday morning to when it was stopped with road spikes yesterday.

Early investigations suggest the vehicle was driven to Ayr late on Sunday night where a 17- year- old girl was robbed by one of the people in the ute.

It was then seen yesterday about 1am in Annandale with police using road spikes to stop the speeding vehicle.

Detective Inspector Kelly Harvey said it appeared the person involved in the robbery was not one of the people arrested after fleeing the ute.

“( The) girl down in Ayr was walking along the street ( about 11.40pm Sunday) when the vehicle approached her and as a result a male from that vehicle has assaulted her and stolen her handbag,” Insp Harvey said.

Hours later four people fled the vehicle after it was stopped by road spikes in Annandale.

“Police patrolled the area and located four people – three male juveniles and an 18- year- old female – and they have since been arrested and charged with a variety of offences,” Insp Harvey said.

She said after fleeing the vehicle they broke into three houses, trying to steal another car.

“The people who have been arrested and charged that were located from the stolen vehicle, were not the people involved in ( the Ayr robbery),” Insp Harvey said.