A teenage gunman remained at large last night after evading a massive police manhunt that forced parts of Melbourne into lockdown yesterday.
After allegedly leading up to 10 police cars on a high-speed chase along the city’s Monash Freeway, David Paul Rowntree eluded heavily armed police officers wearing bullet-proof vests who had swarmed over the Melbourne Park precinct.
During the two-hour lockdown, police blocked off busy roads, including Batman Avenue and Swan Street, causing traffic chaos. Up to eight train lines were affected, trams were halted and school children touring the Melbourne Cricket Ground were forced indoors and away from windows.
Rowntree, whose previous 69 offences include arson and burglary, was allegedly initially armed with a shotgun that was later found dumped at a tram stop outside the Rod Laver Arena.
Despite the massive police hunt, Rowntree was last seen running across the Rod Laver footbridge at 9.40am yesterday.
Police said last night they were uncertain of the 19-year-old’s whereabouts.
During the police pursuit, Rowntree’s allegedly stolen Commodore reached speeds of up to 130kmp/h. Four cars were damaged during the pursuit, including a police car. A female police officer was treated for minor injuries.
Police said Rowntree, of the Victorian town of Colac, was “highly dangerous” and should be avoided by the public.
His previous criminal offences vary from arson, criminal damage, handling stolen goods and burglary to car theft.
In November last year, he was ordered by judge John Nixon at the Geelong County Court to pay $152,330 in damages after torching a house to cover his fingerprints following a burglary.
He was sentenced to three years in a Youth Justice Centre but was granted parole in March.
Judge Nixon labelled Rowntree a “troubled and somewhat devious young man”.
On his Facebook page, Rowntree lists his favourite quote as “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees in fear”.
Rowntree’s vehicle was found dumped outside the Rod Laver Arena, while a police dog unit discovered a balaclava along with the shotgun at a nearby tram stop.
Rowntree’s alleged crime spree began in the inner-eastern suburb of Balwyn at about 3am when he allegedly stole a vehicle later used to leave the scene of an armed robbery at a service station in neighbouring Bulleen. Gunshots were said to be fired.
He dumped the car outside another Balwyn home and then allegedly broke into two properties while their occupants slept, stealing cash and a blue Holden Commodore from a driveway of one of the houses.
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