Teen charged over alleged violent hotel break-ins in NSW town of Moree

A teenage boy has been charged over a string of alleged break-ins, including two in which elderly couples were threatened in their NSW hotel rooms.

In the first of the alleged offences, three males armed with knives forced entry into a hotel room on Amaroo Dr in Moree.

A woman, 63, and man, 83, were occupying the room. The woman was allegedly assaulted by the males, while the man was uninjured.

The group of men then allegedly stole the couple’s car.

The woman was treated by paramedics and taken in a serious but stable condition to Moree District Hospital.

About an hour later, the same group of males then allegedly drove the stolen car to a hotel on Mungindi Rd and broke into a room.

They allegedly had a physical altercation with the 51-year-old man inside the room before running away.

The occupant was uninjured.

The group then allegedly forced entry to a second room at the same hotel, occupied by a man, 78, and woman, 65.

The males allegedly threatened the couple with knives and stole their vehicle before driving from the hotel in both stolen vehicles.

They then allegedly drove to a third hotel on Warialda St, where they broke into a room occupied by a man, 44, and boy, 11, and stole the keys to their car as well.

A man, 46, staying in another room at the hotel then challenged the group and was allegedly threatened with a knife.

“Police have been told that the males entered one of the alleged stolen vehicles and drove it at the man before crashing into a parked vehicle,” NSW Police said.

The group then allegedly abandoned that vehicle and left in the two previously stolen vehicles.

A 14-year-old has been arrested in relation to the incident.

He was taken into custody by police at a home in Moree about 4.25pm on Wednesday.

“At the time of the arrest the boy was allegedly found to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis,” police said.

He was taken to Moore Police Station and charged with seven offences including:

• Aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-use violence
• Aggravated break and enter with intent — armed
• Participate criminal group contribute criminal activity
• Possess prohibited drug
• Use etc offensive weapon w/i to commit indictable offence
• Aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-armed x 2

The boy was refused bail and is scheduled to appear before Parramatta Children’s Court on Thursday.