Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Qld police nab alleged campervan thieves
Police have been led on a two-hour pursuit after a man and a woman used a screwdriver to camper-jack a couple at an isolated campsite west of Brisbane.
May 23, 2019
A man and a woman accused of using a screwdriver to camper-jack a couple west of Brisbane and leading police on a two-hour chase are behind bars.
Anthony Melit, 40, and Karen Crittenden, 30, both from the Sunshine Coast, allegedly stole the campervan from an isolated free-camping site near the town of Woodford on May 14.
Police spotted the van in Caboolture about 6pm on Wednesday and gave chase.
The couple split up and Melit allegedly fled in the van south before police used road spikes, stopping the van in northern Brisbane.
He allegedly ran but police chased him down about 7pm.
Crittenden allegedly fled from the Caboolture area in a ute after the couple separated, but police arrested her about 8pm at Brisbane airport.
The pair were charged with armed robbery, two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, robbery in company, stealing and one count of attempted credit card fraud.
Police would not say what happened to the couple whose van was stolen.
Melit and Crittenden appeared in Caboolture Magistrates Court on Thursday and were remanded in custody to reappear in the same court on July 11.