Police Arrest Driver of Stolen SUV That Plowed Through Melbourne Mall

Footage posted online shows the Landcruiser smashing through glass doors as terrified shoppers ducked for cover inside nearby stores.

A detail of the Victoria police badge on a police officer in Melbourne, Australia, on March 24, 2016. Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Victoria Police have arrested the man who tore through Preston’s Northland Shopping Centre in a stolen Toyota Landcruiser on June 18 in a dramatic attempt to evade capture.

“Investigators arrested a 27-year-old East Melbourne man at a Hoddle Street address in East Melbourne about 8:30 a.m. this morning,” the police said.

The white SUV, believed to have been stolen from Ivanhoe East on June 2, was found dumped on Beavers Road in Northcote around 5:10 p.m.—just over an hour after the incident sent the busy Melbourne shopping centre into lockdown.

Police were first alerted to the vehicle by shopping centre security around 4:02 p.m.

Officers attempted to intercept the SUV in an outdoor carpark five minutes later, but the driver sped off and drove directly through the centre’s main concourse.

Footage posted online shows the Landcruiser smashing through glass doors as terrified shoppers ran out of the way. Despite the chaos, no one was injured. One woman was taken to the hospital for shock.

The car was seen heading towards Wood Street before being abandoned in Northcote.

Police did not fire any shots during the incident.

They suspect an electronic key reprogramming tool was used to steal the Landcruiser without the original keys.

“An electronic key reprogramming tool was seized during the arrest,” Victoria Police said.

Earlier, they confirmed the Landcruiser had only one occupant at the time of the incident and so are not looking for anyone else.

Those with footage or information are urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

New Police Chief Promises Reform and Trust

Last month, the state government officially confirmed former New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush as Victoria’s new top cop after an extensive recruitment process.

Vowing to confront rising crime and rebuild public trust, Bush said, “My mission is to ensure that everyone in the state of Victoria not only is safe but feels safe.”

Victoria is grappling with a significant surge in crime, with 578,762 offences recorded in the year to September 2024—a 13.4 percent increase from the previous year, or an increase of 68,536 cases.

This rise is primarily driven by property crimes, particularly theft from motor vehicles, which reached a record high of 68,042 offences.

Retail theft also spiked by 36.6 percent, influenced by inflation and cost-of-living pressures, while family violence incidents surpassed 100,000 for the first time.

Youth crime is another major concern, with offences by children and young adults hitting record levels.