Two teenagers have been charged over a home invasion in north west NSW 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 yesterday (Thursday 3 April 2025), 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 14 February 2025.
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 yesterday (Thursday 3 April 2025) 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 14 April 2025.
About 8.40am yesterday, 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 five offences,
• 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 yesterday before she was formally refused bail to appear at Moree Local Court on Monday 2 June 2025.
Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.
Operation Soteria was launched last month (March 2025) 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.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
