Three teenagers are in custody after they allegedly assaulted and robbed a taxi driver at Gawler and then drove the taxi to Berri where they were arrested.
Just before 2.30am on Saturday 30 May, a taxi driver picked up a fare in Gawler consisting of two teenage girls and a boy.
A short time later around Twelfth Avenue, the taxi driver was assaulted by a one of the group who struck the male driver several times over the head with a wine bottle, forcing him from the car and stealing the white Toyota cab and driving off.
Police were called to the scene and contacted the taxi company who were able to track the taxi via the GPS in the vehicle.
The taxi was tracked north- east on the Sturt Highway towards the Barossa Valley through Nuriootpa with police not pursuing the car, but monitoring it’s progress and shadowing the vehicle’s movements.
A police dog patrol was dispatched to head in the same direction as the stolen cab in case the car was dumped by the suspects at anytime.
At around 3.15am the taxi was tracked still travelling on the Sturt Highway approaching Blanchetown, by 3.40am the stolen Taxi had passed through Waikerie and was still heading east.
At 4am the stolen Taxi travelled through Barmera and at 4.15am the taxi finally stopped at Phillips Road at Berri around 200kms from where it was stolen.
Local Riverland police patrols converged on the area, setting up cordons in the area waiting for the arrival of the police dog patrol that was a just few minutes behind the taxi.
Police Dog Havoc and handler only took about 10 minutes to locate the three suspects who had run into an orchard.
The two girls aged 17-years-old and a boy aged 15 years were all arrested and have been charged with aggravated robbery.
They have been refused police bail and will appear in the youth court on Monday.
The taxi driver, a 20-year-old man was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital for treatment and x-rays to a facial injury.
The taxi has been towed from the scene relatively undamaged.
