Four teenagers have been charged after two allegedly stolen vehicles they were in collided early this morning in Auckland.
Police said just before 3.30am on Tuesday, a member of the public reported a group allegedly “interfering” with four vehicles on Stanaway St in Hillcrest on Auckland’s North Shore.
Five boys – aged between 13 and 16 – then fled in another vehicle, Inspector Jason Edwards said.
Officers called to the scene found an ignition barrel on the ground.
Around 30 minutes later, the Police Eagle helicopter spotted a group of youths walking onto Zefiro Dr in Massey after abandoning an allegedly stolen vehicle.
“Ground units were directed to their location with all five quickly taken into custody,” Edwards said.
“We have established this group had just been travelling with two stolen vehicles in tandem, before colliding with each other on the Royal Rd offramp.
“They abandoned one vehicle and had carried on a short distance.”
Four boys appeared in the Waitākere Youth Court today charged with unlawfully getting into a vehicle.
The group was also being spoken to in relation to other vehicle crimes across west Auckland and the North Shore, Edwards said.
Police asked the community to report suspicious activity in their neighbourhood.
“Police acknowledge the vigilant member of the public for reporting the suspicious activity in the first instance,” he said.
“We know that stolen vehicles are used to commit further offending against the community, so to be able to disrupt this group is a great outcome.”