Warragul girl among group arrest for theft

A 16-year-old Warragul girl was amongst five children arrested in relation to an alleged vehicle theft in Narre Warren on Thursday night.

Moorabbin CIU detectives made the arrests, with assistance of Operation Trinity police units, after a black Audi S3 was reported stolen from a Narre Warren residence at 9.30pm.

Shortly after, police reported the Audi was involved in a petrol drive-off at a Beaconsfield service station and was seen travelling erratically on the Princes Hwy in Chadstone.

Despite police successfully deploying a tyre deflation device, the Audi allegedly continued to travel at speeds exceeding 150km/h, on its rims, through Clayton and Wheelers Hill. The Audi also allegedly drove through a roadworks area, forcing a worker to jump from the vehicle’s 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 vehicle allegedly continued to travel at speeds of up to 130km/h until coming to a stop at a Rowville intersection.

Police arrested five children at the scene, including a 16-year-old from Warragul. She, along with a 15-year-old from Pakenham, received a caution.

A second 15-year-old Pakenham girl and a 15-year-old Pakenham boy were both charged with theft and bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

A 14-year-old Seaford boy was 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.

Police said Operation Trinity, which runs every night until dawn, was currently Victoria Police’s most well-resourced frontline policing operation. As a result, police have made over 1400 arrests relating to burglaries and car thefts, with the overwhelming majority of offenders being children.