A teenager has been arrested after allegedly stealing a car from a hospital car park as part of a crime spree after jumping bail in the Bay of Islands.
The teen was on electronic bail at a home in Taheke on "unrelated active charges" when police were alerted the battery on the tracker had gone flat on May 3, Acting Senior Sergeant Greg Johnson said.
Police received a report a car had been broken into while it was parked on Gillies St in Kawakawa between 7pm on Thursday, May 9 and 2pm on Friday, May 10.
The victim returned to her vehicle to find it had been "entered via the driver’s door, with the ignition destroyed", Johnson said.
That same day, a car was stolen from a hospital car park.
"Between 14-15 May the alleged lawbreaker committed a further six offences in the Kawakawa and Taheke areas," he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, police were notified of a stolen vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the road along State Highway 1 through Dome Forest.
"Police signalled for the driver to stop, however he has accelerated and driven recklessly, almost crashing into a number of other vehicles and causing motorists to take evasive action to avoid a crash."
A police pursuit was abandoned "due to the manner of driving".
The teenager was arrested in the early hours of yesterday morning after he was caught allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle on Railway Rd in Kawakawa.
Johnson said the incident is "understandably concerning for the community and for police".
"These offenders are putting the wider community at risk when they flee from police," he said.
"Targeting people’s modes of transport, and in hospital carparks, is a low act."
The teenager has been remanded in custody and would reappear in Kaikohe Youth Court on June 11.
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