In Teralba, southwest of Newcastle, Australia, a 48 year old man has been arrested for driving a stolen bulldozer and destroying an innocent woman's house. Deborah Kerr, the owner of the house, was at home with her two daughters when the bulldozer arrived outside their house. Mrs. Kerr started running along with her children as the bulldozer began tearing through their house. The unidentified man, who apparently used to live with Kerr, also chased another man, who was sleeping nearby, with the stolen bulldozer. The suspect stole the bulldozer from a local mine on Sunday night.
The unknown suspect has been charged with "destroying of property with intent to endanger life", and disobeying an apprehended violence order.
The suspect was caught while trying to drive the bulldozer towards the man sleeping in a shed near the Kerr house. Mrs. Kerr believed that she heared a garbage truck while she and her children were inside the house, only to discover that it was a bulldozer that was outside their home. No one was reported injured at the time but the Kerr house was completely destroyed. "He picked the bucket up and started to go for the house and we just ran straight out the front door," Kerr said.
Further investigation shows that the suspect ran over several parked vehicles near the house and then turned and drove straight towards the house. Police reports say that when the police arrived on the scene, one police officer immediately jumped onto the stolen bulldozer and attempted to enter it. With the door closed, the police officer broke the glass window and immediately pressed the emergency stop button then began to fill the bulldozer with pepper spray to neutralize the suspect leaving him completely incapacitated.
The suspect will face trial at the Newcastle Local Court.
