Teens’ alleged Uber knifepoint robbery
An Uber driver was allegedly threatened with a knife on the Gold Coast when four teenagers attempted to steal his car.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the driver responded to a trip request on Coolgardie St, Elanora to Currumbin at around 5.30pm on Tuesday, picking up three 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old.
About half an hour later as the trip was ending, one of the teens allegedly pulled out a large knife, and allegedly “demanded the driver to get out”.
“The front seat passenger was out of the vehicle when the driver drove off with the three remaining boys inside before stopping a short distance away and the boys fleeing the vehicle,” a police spokeswoman said.
The boys were allegedly captured on CCTV fleeing on foot on Currumbin street.
All four were located at a Palm Beach address by police a short time later.
As of Thursday morning one of the 13-year-olds and the 12-year-old have been charged with attempted robbery.
The other two boys are “continuing to assist police with their investigation”, which remains ongoing.
The following evening another rideshare driver was allegedly threatened with a knife in Sunnybank.
Police allege the driver picked up two passengers from a Mains Rd shopping centre about 12.30am on May 11, driving them to a train station on Dixon St.
Once they had arrived at the destination, the passengers allegedly threatened the driver with a knife, subsequently driving away in the stolen Kia Cerato.
The police spokeswoman said this armed robbery is believed to be linked to another incident that occurred earlier that evening on Mains Rd, where a 22-year-old man was allegedly threatened at knifepoint after parking his car at a convenience store.
Refusing to comply, the man ran away uninjured, however the tyres to his Mazda CX-5 were later deflated.
As of Thursday morning no arrests had been made in regards to the Sunnybank incidents, and investigations remain ongoing.
Anyone with information has been urged by police to contact Crime Stoppers.
