Police vow to fight back
‘THE WALLS ARE CLOSING IN ON THEM’, SAYS SENIOR COP
“WHERE are their parents?”
That’s the question Townsville’s top police officer is asking after yet another day of relentless juvenile car crime that almost killed an innocent driver.
Townsville District Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon has unleashed over the “disgusting” behaviour of a group of children who have held the city hostage since Thursday.
But police are closing in, and have arrested two more teenage boys, aged 14 and 16.
One of the boys was arrested in the boot of a car on Thursday night, and the duo join three other teenagers picked up on Thursday morning, which included a 13-year-old girl, 14year-old boy and 13-year-old boy.
All face multiple charges.
Supt Hanlon said police were still looking for a handful of suspects believed to be involved in multiple offences on Thursday and yesterday, including a crash that forced a driver off the Bruce Highway.
About 9.45pm, two stolen cars forced another car off the road and down an embankment before speeding off.
The same stolen cars are believed to have driven to Alligator Creek and Elliot Springs, and tried to break into homes, before stealing a brand new Mazda MX-30.
The same Mazda was also used as a getaway car at Aplins Weir after a group of juveniles pushed a Hyundai SUV into the Ross River.
It was spotted speeding across the city yesterday, and hasn’t been recovered.
Supt Hanlon said police were putting everything they have into finding the Mazda and a Toyota Camry being driven by their suspect juveniles.
“We are doing everything in our power to hunt those people down,” Supt Hanlon said.
“These people think that they can joy ride around the place, running at people, ramming into people’s property.
“The walls are closing in on these people.”
Supt Hanlon said he was very concerned about the lack of guidance from parents, aunties and uncles, or
grandparents. “The concern for me is what are their parents doing … what are their loved ones doing.
“I want to ask them what they are doing to stop the people they love (from committing crime).
“We are over this mayhem.” A man was also arrested at West End yesterday morning, but police could not confirm if he was involved in the offending.
During the carnage on Thursday,
two officers were also injured in the mayhem. One officer received some rope burn when a stinger deployment went wrong.
Meanwhile, another fractured his wrist when he came off a motorbike while trying to respond to a stolen car crash.
Supt Hanlon said police would continue to pour resources into finding those responsible over the weekend.