Teens alleged crime spree interrupted by delivery driver in Alexandra

An Alexandra delivery driver interrupted an early-hours burglary, part of an alleged crime spree across Otago that ended with two teenage girls facing several charges in Youth Court.

Craig Ward said he was dropping off Otago Daily Times newspapers at the NPD Alexandra fuel station, in Centennial Ave, about 4.10am on Tuesday, when he looked in his rearview mirror and saw a ute facing the nearby farm bike shop, Two Wheels Unlimited, with its lights on.

The ute was about 1.5m from the shop door, shining its lights into the store, the alarm was going off and there was broken glass on the ground.

Ward said he called out as he reversed his delivery truck behind the ute.

“I yelled out, ‘Oi, what are you doing?”’

In a matter of seconds, someone jumped out of the store, into the ute, which reversed into the side of his truck — “and took off”.

As the ute peeled away, Ward got out, dialled 111 and told police the registration plate number.

The ute allegedly involved in a burglary in Alexandra after it was spiked by police in John Wilson Ocean Dr in Dunedin on Tuesday.

“They took off in a bloody big hurry.”

A police officer was on the scene within a matter of minutes, he said.

He read about the teenagers’ arrests in John Wilson Ocean Dr, Dunedin, in yesterday’s ODT, and recognised the ute in the accompanying photograph.

“The picture on the front page, that Toyota Hilux is one that reversed into me,” Ward said.

Dunedin police yesterday released more detail about the alleged crime spree.

Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said a 17-year-old had been charged with three burglaries, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle (two charges) and theft of petrol from a service station.

The burglaries happened at Palmerston Four Square, Cromwell Night ‘n Day, and Two Wheels Unlimited, in Alexandra, he said.

Two Wheels Unlimited owner Graham McNabb said the suspects smashed a window to get inside before Ward arrived, interrupting the break-in.

McNabb said he was grateful Ward intervened.

“All we got was one broken window and nothing stolen. It could’ve been quite different if he hadn’t turned up, obviously.”

He said he was not sure what the suspects were looking for in his workshop.

“Maybe they’re just bored.

“We don’t like to see things like that, but unfortunately it’s a bit of a sign of the times.

“It seems to be a bit of a younger element that seem to be doing bad s***.”

In Cromwell, the suspects had broken a window, taken a “negligible” amount of things and left, Night ‘n Day general manager Matthew Lane said.

The incident had not raised any concern for store, or staff, safety.

“It happened outside of hours and it could happen to anyone.

“They didn’t get away with much and have since been caught.”

Three teenagers were arrested after Dunedin police spiked a stolen Toyota Hilux, driven by a 17-year-old girl, in John Wilson Ocean Dr, St Kilda, on Tuesday.

The girl was arrested.

Snr Sgt Bond said a 14-year-old girl, who was a passenger in the vehicle, had been bailed to appear in Dunedin Youth Court, but charges were still being collated.

A third person in the vehicle, a 17-year-old boy, was released without charge, but he had been referred to Youth Aid for unlawfully being in a vehicle, he said.

Police were still looking for one other person in relation to the burglaries, he said.