Australia: 19-year-old from South Sudan arrested over a wild joy ride

One of the suspect's underpants fell down as he was led away (Credit: Nine)

(Credit: Nine)

A 19-year-old arrested over a wild joy ride that ground Melbourne to a halt on Tuesday afternoon is a migrant from South Sudan who was only released from prison a month ago.

The teen pleaded guilty to stealing a motor vehicle with his lawyer saying he didn’t deserve to go to prison again, Nine News reported.

The court heard how he was from a good family that migrated from Australia from South Sudan.

His father is a doctor and his mother is an ambassador at the Ugandan Embassy. Both were away yesterday.

Another of the accused is planning on applying for bail on Friday with his mother claiming police used excessive force in their arrest of the six suspects.

His mother told the magistrate that her son is “severely traumatised” by the arrest.

Melbourne was plunged into chaos on Tuesday after armed police chased an allegedly stolen Nissan, with five teens inside, across three freeways.

The high-speed joy ride ended in the dramatic arrest of five teenagers and one 20-year-old.

One was apparently left red-faced as his trousers fell down revealing his underpants as officers dragged him away.

All lanes of the Monash Freeway were closed as officers detained the suspects, with motorists facing long delays.

The alleged crime spree started hours earlier at Brighton East, in Melbourne’s south east, when the group allegedly broke into a family home through a side door and stole a Nissan and an Audi as the residents and their toddler slept at around 5am

The group is also accused of breaking into a second home in Hampton Park.

Resident Jesse Singh said masked thugs kicked in his front door and confronted his cousin as he brushed his teeth.

A hole was smashed in a wall during a scuffle.

Victoria Police said early on Wednesday morning that five people had been charged following a Brighton East burglary and pursuit.

It is alleged a Nissan Patrol and an Audi SQ5 were stolen from a property on Clonaig Street in Brighton East at about 5.30am. The vehicles were allegedly involved in another home invasion in Hampton Park about 7.45am before fleeing, Police stated.

There were no injuries.

Charges

Police spotted the Nissan Patrol being driven erratically in Doveton about 8am, before engaging in a pursuit. The car was then followed through “multiple eastern and southeastern suburbs on the EastLink and Monash Freeway,” Police said before finally being intercepted, with air support, at around noon.

Three 16-year-old boys, a 17-year-old boy, a 19-year-old and 20-year-old man were arrested at the scene.

The charges of five of them included intentional aggravated exposure of emergency worker to risk by driving, reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, theft of motor vehicle, unlicensed driving, aggravated burglary and commit indictable offence while on bail.

The 20-year-old Wheelers Hill man remains in hospital under police guard.

Source: https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/freeway-closed-dramatic-arrest-after-teens-alleged-crime-spree-across-melbourne/news-story/9f7a530652c61035710fd620e7a5b88f