A teenager has been charged with multiple offences as police continue to crack down on residential burglaries and associated car thefts across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Detectives from Whitehorse Crime Investigation Unit arrested a 13-year-old boy from Melbourne’s south-east on Wednesday 20 June.
The teen has been charged with seven offences including aggravated burglary, burglary, theft of motor vehicle, attempted theft from motor vehicle, theft and driving offences in relation to a series of offences earlier this month including:
• At about 1.20am on Monday 18 July, the accused along with three other unknown males allegedly entered an address in Bellett Street in Camberwell via the front gate. The accused allegedly attempted to open the front passenger door of a vehicle parked in the carport, but a security light illuminated, and all four males decamped without stealing any items.
• At about 3am on Tuesday 19 July, the accused allegedly gained entry to a home on View Street in Mont Albert via the bathroom window, before stealing a wallet containing cash and cards and the car keys to an Audi sedan parked in the driveway. He then allegedly used the stolen car keys to steal the Audi.
• At about 10:45am this same day, the accused allegedly had a collision in Frankston while driving the stolen white Audi. The vehicle has since been recovered.
The 13-year-old was remanded to face a children’s court at a later date.
This arrest comes as part of Operation Fortress, which is an ongoing operation targeting residential burglaries and associated car thefts across Boroondara, Manningham, Monash, and Whitehorse.
Investigations into the incidents remain ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist police with their enquiries is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.auExternal Link
Quotes attributed to Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Brad March – Whitehorse Crime Investigation Unit:
“Police will leave no stone unturned when it comes to apprehending those who think they have the right to waltz into someone’s else’s home and take what is not theirs.
“We will continue to target this type of offending by sharing intelligence on known persons of interest, intercepting vehicles, and regularly patrolling local streets to detect and deter offending.
“Our community is by and large a very safe place to live, and we are extremely determined to make sure it stays that way.
“While police will continue to play our part by stopping offending before it can occur and locking up criminals, we encourage everyone to play their part by locking their windows and doors, installing good quality locks on external windows and doors, and considering additional measures such as security screen doors, sensor lights, and overt CCTV cameras.”
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