Man in court over multiple vehicle thefts at Lake Illawarra, NSW

A man will face court today charged with a spate of offences allegedly committed in stolen vehicles.

Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District commenced an investigation last month, after a Ford Falcon was reported stolen from a home in Blackbutt on Sunday 12 April 2020.

Police will allege the Ford was involved in a high-speed pursuit with police on Monday 13 April 2020, which was terminated for safety reasons. The vehicle was then used in an aggravated break and enter at a mechanical repair shop in Barrack Heights on Tuesday 14 April 2020.

The car was later found abandoned in Farmborough Heights and towed for forensic examination.

About 3am on Tuesday 21 April 2020, an Audi wagon was stolen from a home in Thirroul and used in an alleged fail to pay at a service station in Warrawong. The car was located in Barrack Heights on Wednesday 23 April 2020 and taken for forensic examination.

A third car – a Holden Commodore station wagon – was reported stolen from a home in Lake Heights on Tuesday 14 April 2020 and recovered shortly after 3pm yesterday (Sunday 3 May 2020).

Police attended a home in Warilla a short time later and arrested a 19-year-old man.

The man was arrested and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station, where he was charged with:

– Aggravated break and enter in company,

– Be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner (x2),

– Enter building/land with intent to commit indictable offence,

– Steal motor vehicle,

– Dishonestly obtain property by deception,

– Possess prescribed restricted substance (x2),

– Custody of knife in public place.

He was refused bail and is due to face Wollongong Local Court today (Monday 4 May 2020).

/Public Release. View in full here.