The plans of five alleged car thieves have been busted by Rangiora Police.

The quintet were apprehended about 2am on Wednesday 4 June, two cars of interest were tracked to Pegasus, north of Christchurch. The vehicles had been stolen earlier in the night, one from Bishopdale and the other from St Albans.

With only one way out of Pegasus, Police laid spikes and waited until the alleged offenders drove over them, Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said.

“They’ve kept driving for a short distance, but the spikes did their job and both cars eventually came to a stop.”

Police apprehended the boys and young men without further incident, but Police discovered another vehicle had been interfered with.

“At Pegasus, we’ve established there was an attempt to steal a third vehicle, but all they’ve done is break a window and make a mess of the ignition – and sadly, that’s a headache for yet another car owner.”

The five are aged between 13 and 23, Senior Sergeant McDaniel said.

The 13-year-old has been referred to Youth Services, while the other four are scheduled to appear in the Christchurch District Court and Christchurch Youth Court on charges including unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, attempting to unlawfully take a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of an air rifle, and failing to stop for Police.

“We know car theft is an ongoing problem and urge vehicle owners to purchase immobilisers or steering wheel locks if they have to park on the street.

“Even with attempted car theft, it’s more than an inconvenience, because offenders can cause a lot of damage to the ignition when they’re attempting to start the car. This offending has a real impact on real people’s lives, and we need the community’s help to prevent it.

“If you see suspicious activity, such as people casing out vehicles, the best thing you can do is call 111 immediately.”

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