Three youth offenders on alleged crime spree caught after Whanganui burglary

Police have arrested three youth offenders believed to be part of a wider crime spree after a burglary in Whanganui.

Just before 1am on Wednesday police were alerted to a burglary and ram raid at a commercial premises on Bell St.

“At this stage, it is not known what was taken from the premises.”

The group of alleged offenders then fled the area in two vehicles, one of which was reported stolen.

Police sighted the two vehicles of interest and signalled the vehicles to stop, but the drivers fled from police.

The vehicles were located later on nearby streets where they had been abandoned by the group.

At around 1.25am, police sighted a suspicious vehicle on State Highway 3.

The vehicle was successfully spiked near Patea River Bridge and came to a stop near Spence Rd, Kakaramea.

The three occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody at the scene without incident.

They are believed to have been involved in a significant number of offences across the lower North Island.

Inquiries are ongoing to identify and locate further alleged offenders involved in the burglary.

The three youths are due to appear in court at a later date.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.