Queensland police have charged a teenage boy with the murder of Ipswich woman Vyleen White in a shopping centre car park on Saturday.
The 16-year-old Bellbird Park boy has been charged with one count of murder, one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and three counts of stealing.
He will appear at Ipswich children’s court on Tuesday.
Four other boys have been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle in relation to the incident at Town Square Redbank Plains shopping centre.
Police allege White was stabbed to death in front of her six-year-old granddaughter after going shopping late on Saturday afternoon.
Officers have previously said they would allege the motive behind the alleged murder was to steal White’s car, a 2009 Hyundai Getz.
Det Acting Supt Heath McQueen told reporters on Tuesday that some of the young people charged had attended police stations with their parents.
“They (the parents) condemned the behaviour and what’s occurred here,” he said.
McQueen said the investigation was ongoing.
“For anyone out there that thinks the matter is solved … we’re still looking extensively,” he said.
“Whilst we’ve commenced proceedings against five persons so far I won’t rule out further persons being charged. We’ll continue to conduct inquiries and investigate and if we identify any other persons who may have been involved in this matter … we’ll put them before the judicial system.”
The 16-year-old accused of murder was arrested on Monday about 2.45pm at a unit complex in Bellbird Park.
Two of the others charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle are aged 15 and two are 16.
after newsletter promotion
One of the 15-year-olds, from Bellbird Park, was also charged with possessing tainted property.
The other 15-year-old boy, from Ripley, handed himself in on Sunday night and appeared in Ipswich children’s court on Monday.
One 16-year-old is from Goodna and was arrested in Riverview about 11am on Monday.
The other 16-year-old Bellbird Park boy was arrested in the suburb before 3pm the same day. He will appear at Beenleigh children’s court on Tuesday.
The alleged offenders cannot be named for legal reasons.
The Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, said on Monday that more than 40 detectives had been assigned to investigate the attack.
“I’m extraordinarily confident in the resources that have been allocated to this, and we will be relentless in pursuing the offenders to make sure that we bring them to justice,” she said. “We have thrown everything at this.”
