Three teens suspected of crime spree, breaking into homes, stealing cars

In an incident at The Grange, a prestigious suburb on the southern edge of the city, the youths forced their way into a home, threatened the owner and demanded the keys to car.

That man was Rod - who asked the Leader not to use his full name.

Rod, 56, has confirmed the police's description of the suspects as wearing black tracksuits and balaclavas.

"I awoke to hearing the side gate slam, so that woke me up and made me aware there was someone down the side of the house," he said.

From there things escalated very quickly.

Rod said the young assailants breached the premises and confronted him in his bedroom "within 30 seconds" of him exiting his bed.

Luckily his mobile phone was close to hand and he managed to dial emergency services, though he wasn't sure whether the call had gone through.

"They immediately started demanding I hang up or give them the phone, but at that point I kind of had the upper hand. I could see that they were panicked," Rod said.

But that was when the oldest boy allegedly went on the attack.

The intruder struck Rod's left leg with the machete just below the knee, leaving him bleeding and in "excruciating" pain.

The three youths then allegedly stole the homeowner's wallet and car keys and fled the scene in his high-performance Mercedes parked out front.

Rod was left shaken, but on reflection he's grateful the intruders came to his bedroom instead of the one his elderly parents were staying in.

"My mother had had enough instinct on hearing the commotion to have locked the bedroom door, but I was in fear of bleeding out. Thankfully she was already on the line with emergency services," he said.

"If I had not been here, if it was just my parents, it could've been a different incident. That's my biggest fear."

The alleged break-and-enter in The Grange was not the only incident to occur that morning.

Oxley Police District Commander Superintendent Bruce Grassick said inquiries indicated the youths started their spree in McKay Place in North Tamworth.

"It appears a number of houses in McKay Place were targeted from about 1am, and a vehicle stolen," he said.

Incidents were also reported in Hawthorne Avenue and Church Street, with another vehicle stolen in the latter.

Superintendent Grassick said incidents at all four locations were "linked", while the stolen vehicles had been recovered and forensically examined.

One victim who contacted the Leader but wished to remain anonymous said he and his family were subjected to "a very violent and scary situation" which required barricading themselves in their home as the front door was smashed by the offenders "wielding knives and machete" as they attempted to enter the home.

The teens did not gain access into the victim's home.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, July 16, regarding the incidents, Superintendent Grassick announced the introduction of a new youth program, Fresh Footprint.

"Fresh Footprint is a community-based program, and will involve a multi-agency approach involving not only NSW Police, but community partners including youth justice, youth on track, centre care, education, local council," he said.

"There are a raft of people involved in this particular program which is designed to put a circuit breaker in place."

Superintendent Grassick said the aim was to create a "prevention space ... a disruption space", otherwise the situation became cyclical, and youth returned to society commit the same crimes, to head back into the criminal justice system.

"We want to prevent that from happening," Superintendent Grassick said.

"It is important they make the right choices and are armed with a program that will assist them to make the right choices," he said.

Oxley Police has asked anyone with information about the latest incidents to come forward and notify police immediately.

"Even a little piece of information could take police in the right direction to solve this crime," Superintendent Grassick said.

In particular, police are seeking any dashcam or CCTV footage in relation to these crimes.

Crime Stoppers has offered a reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the individuals and a prosecution.

Superintendent Grassick said investigations were being under Operation Regional Mongoose which had arrested 14 people in relation to "these types of offences" in the "past few weeks".