Police dog nabs suspects
THIEVES believed to be responsible for robbing farmers and stealing vehicles in South Gippsland were bitten by a police dog during a dramatic chase on Monday, June 19.
The two men from Wonthaggi and Fish Creek and a woman from Altona were pursued by police on foot and in the air after driving erratically in a failed bid to evade police on the Calder Freeway near Macedon.
Police charged the trio in relation to a series of offences that led to their arrest in an allegedly stolen car at Macedon.
The trio abandoned the car and ran away from police, before being apprehended by a dog from the police Canine Unit soon after, in conjunction with Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol police and the Police Airwing helicopter.
The men were treated in a Melbourne hospital for dog bite wounds.
“Police had been looking for these individuals for the last couple of weeks,” Detective Acting Sergeant Paul Burns of Bass Coast Criminal Investigation Unit said.
“We believe they have been committing thefts across Bass Coast and other areas of the station, including taking motor vehicles and thieving from farming areas as far as New South Wales.”
A 29 year old man from Wonthaggi faces 30 charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, evade police, reckless conduct, endangering life, handling stolen goods and possession of a firearm.
He has been remanded to appear in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on July 28.
A 22 year old man from Fish Creek has been charged with 24 counts of similar offences and remanded to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
A 23 year old woman from Altona Meadows has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, burglary and possession of a firearm.
She has been bailed to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 8.
There have been five car thefts in South Gippsland over the past month and police believe the incidents could be related.
Farmers have lost tools and fuel to thieves, with one farm hit six times in the past month and losing fuel and tools valued at around $5000.
Police have recovered some stolen property, including a ute taken from the Tarwin area and recovered at Lang Lang, a vehicle from New South Wales and firearms from Ouyen in north west Victoria.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Jun 27 2017. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
