Pair arrested over crime spree across region
Police seize crudely spray-painted Ford Falcon and charge Wonthaggi man with more than 20 offences as arrests continue to mount in crime wave gripping Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
A 20-year-old Wonthaggi man has been remanded in custody and a 17-year-old girl bailed after police ended an alleged crime spree that stretched across Bass Coast, South Gippsland and Baw Baw.
The pair were arrested at a residential address in McKenzie Street Wonthaggi about 1am on Saturday May 16 after what police described as a blatant run of offending that put the community at risk.
The day before, police seized a Ford Falcon sedan in Riflebutts Road Korumburra that had been crudely spray-painted black in an attempt to disguise its original sky blue colour.
Police said the vehicle had been involved in reckless driving across the region and that the community was lucky nobody had been killed on the roads as a result.
The man was hit with a lengthy charge sheet including multiple counts of theft, shoplifting, receiving and handling stolen goods, using registration plates not issued to a vehicle, failing to stop for police on two occasions, dangerous driving, exceeding the speed limit and four counts of driving as a learner without a supervising driver.
He was remanded in custody appeared at the La Trobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Monday May 18.
The girl was charged with theft, three counts of shoplifting, two counts of handling stolen goods, driving as a learner without a supervising driver, using an unregistered vehicle and using false registration plates.
She was bailed to appear at the Korumburra Children’s Court at a later date.
Police said a significant amount of investigation had been undertaken and that they appreciated the information supplied by the local community.
Investigations into a large amount of other related offending are continuing.
The arrests are the latest in a string of police operations that have put a significant dent in a crime wave gripping Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
In the past three months a 39-year-old Wonthaggi man on bail was charged with 38 offences including 12 burglaries targeting cafes, restaurants, sports clubs and churches over Easter.
His alleged co-accused was charged with 25 offences days later and a 40-year-old Mirboo man was charged with 35 offences over burglaries and motor vehicle thefts across multiple local government areas including Latrobe, Baw Baw, South Gippsland and Cardinia.
Car thieves filmed themselves joyriding in a near-new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed stolen from Wonthaggi on April 26 at speeds exceeding 140km/h and the vehicle was later recovered completely trashed.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppersvic.com.au.
