Sex offender arrested

Fugitive allegedly assaults teenager and elderly woman

A MAN with a violent sex offending history has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a teenager and then an elderly woman while trying to escape corrective services.

It’s understood Johnwill Swain Gizu, 20, was told he was being sent back to prison by Queensland Corrective Services on a return to prison warrant, when he ran from their offices on Ross River Road in Aitkenvale.

Gizu is on a supervision order under the Dangerous Prisoners Sexual Offenders Act and lives in a house off the Bruce Highway for offenders on DPSOA orders.

It will be further alleged Gizu ran into Stockland Shopping Centre and cut off his GPS ankle bracelet.

Police will allege he then assaulted a 16-year-old boy, punching him in the chest and stealing his bike near the shopping centre.

He has then ridden the stolen bike to Bergin Street in Cranbrook, where he has seen an elderly woman exit a home.

It will be alleged Gizu then approached the 83-year-old woman, about 11am, ripping the keys off a lanyard on her neck and stealing her Suzuki Celerio.

A Queensland Ambulance

Service spokeswoman said they assessed the woman after she was attacked by Gizu but she didn’t require transport to hospital.

The Bulletin understands the car had been modified to transport the elderly woman’s disabled husband.

Gizu was next spotted by police near El Arish, 226kms away from where he allegedly stole the car. Police tried to pull him over but Gizu evaded the officers.

Shortly after 2pm, road spikes were used to blow the tyres on the stolen car, with Gizu taken into custody.

It’s understood Gizu was headed to Cairns, where he has family.

District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Matt Lyons said police received information he was headed north and began patrolling the highway looking for Gizu.

“He has driven off and there was information that he was probably heading north, so we had police all up the coast keeping an eye out,” he said.

“We will allege he has evaded police at El Arish, before he was taken into custody near Babinda … shortly after 2pm.”

Gizu had not been charged at the time of print.