Two teenagers charged after alleged Moree home invasion

Two teenagers have been charged over a home invasion in Moree that left one man with a broken nose.

Officers from Operation Soteria arrested the 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old woman in Moree on Thursday, April 3, as part of its ongoing crackdown on youth crime in regional NSW.

The charges relate to an alleged assault at a property on Amaroo Drive, Moree on Friday , February 14.

Investigators from New England Police District were told the occupants – a 58-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman – had allegedly been assaulted by two males, who then stole two SUVs.

Both vehicles were found abandoned in Moree later that day.

Following inquiries, about 9am on Thursday, April 3, Moree detectives and Operation Soteria investigators arrested a 17-year-old boy on Amaroo Drive, Moree.

He was taken to Moree Police Station and charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence – inflict actual bodily harm and take and drive conveyance without consent of owner.

He was also charged with four offences over an unrelated incident.

The teen was refused bail and appeared before a children’s court yesterday, where he was formally refused bail to appear at a children’s court on Monday, April 14.

About 8.40am on Thursday, April 3, officers attached to Operation Soteria executed a search warrant at a home on Howarth Street, Wyong, and arrested a 19-year-old woman.

She was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with stalk/intimidate, recruit child to carry out/assist criminal activity, be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner, aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence in company – steal greater than $60k, and breach of bail.

She was refused bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on April 3 before she was formally refused bail to appear at Moree Local Court on Monday, June 2.

Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.

Operation Soteria was launched in March to address an escalation of violence in young offenders across western and northern parts of the state, with a focus on aggravated break, enter and steal offences, stealing motor vehicles and ‘post and boast’ offences where youths use social media to gain notoriety for their crimes.

A new unit of 60 police was formed as the operational arm, with additional officers from the NSW Police Crime Prevention and Youth Command engaging in community outreach and diversion efforts.