Geraldton Police arrest five juveniles accused of a string of crime, parents urged to supervise children

A group of five juveniles — one as young as 10 — allegedly embarked on an afternoon crime spree across two Geraldton suburbs, including a string of break-ins — with one woman disturbed as she slept and another threatened with a knife. Two of the accused boys have been remanded in custody, with Geraldton Police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Chris Martin calling for more parental responsibility. The group was arrested by police following a series of break-ins in Bluff Point and Spalding between 1pm and 6pm on Saturday, October 28. Police allege at 1pm the juveniles smashed a bedroom window with an object and entered a property on Brigalow Crescent in Spalding. An alarm was activated and the accused fled the scene. Sen. Sgt Martin said a neighbour heard the alarm and checked the property, finding the side gate open and the window smashed and reporting it to police. It is further alleged about 3pm on Railway St in Bluff Point, the same group allegedly broke into a house by breaking the lock on a glass door. Sen. Sgt Martin said the juveniles entered a woman’s bedroom, disturbing her as she was asleep, before fleeing the scene. Nothing was stolen from both houses. Then police say about 3.30pm at a home on Charles Street, a juvenile entered through the front door and was confronted by a female occupant when he pulled out a knife. Sen. Sgt Martin said the accused raised the knife up towards the woman when he saw her. He said the woman chased the accused as he exited the house and jumped over the back fence. In another incident between 3pm-5.30pm, police allege the juvenile group found a rock and allegedly threw it through a living room window before entering a Harrison Street property. Sen. Sgt Martin said the accused rummaged through the entire house and stole a number of items before leaving, heading towards O’Connor Street. In another alleged burglary, police say two of the juveniles opened a side door to a property on St George Close and entered a bathroom area while a third juvenile acted as a lookout. Unable to gain further entry to the home, the group ran away. Not long after, Sen. Sgt Martin said an occupant living on Crowtherton St come home to his patio gate ajar. The juvenile group is accused of damaging the garage door by either using an object or kicking it sometime between 5.30pm-6pm. The group is also accused of damaging a cat flap on a door to a property on Mitchell Street in Spalding between 4.30pm-5.30pm. Five boys — two aged 14 and three aged 11, 12 and 10 — were arrested on Saturday night and charged with four counts of burglary with intent, two counts of burglary and commit, two counts of stealing, two counts of damage and one count of being armed in a way that may cause fear. Two juveniles were remanded in custody and the others bailed to appear in Geraldton Children’s Court on Tuesday, November 21. Sen. Sgt Martin emphasised the importance of parental responsibility in preventing juvenile crime and urged guardians to keep an eye on their youth. “There needs to be some additional parental responsibility over where your kids are, what they’re doing, who they’re hanging out with, how late they’re out at night, what they’re getting up to — parents need to know exactly where their kids are,” he said. “People need to switch on soon because if this behaviour continues it only makes it harder for everyone else in the community and we all share a portion of the responsibility for that.”