HALF-A-DOZEN patrons and the publican assisted police arrest a woman trying to hotwire a ute outside the Condah Hotel at lunchtime on Saturday.
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Detective Sergeant Jason von Tunk, of the Portland police crime investigation unit, said a patron left his Holden ute at the hotel overnight Friday.
When he returned to collect his ute about 11.30am Saturday there was a woman in it trying to illegally start the vehicle.
"He arrived to find a woman in his ute trying to hotwire it," he said.
Police were notified and patrons and the publican chased the barefoot woman into nearby scrub.
"The startled woman ran behind the hotel. She was chased by patrons and the public but they lost her and waited for police to arrive," Detective Sergeant von Tunk said.
"Patrons, the publican, detectives, uniform police and then a passing Melbourne-based taskforce officer then flushed her out and she was chased on foot down the Henty Highway," he said.
"She ran into bushes where the 20-year-old woman from Wallacedale was arrested by police and patrons about 12.30pm."
The drug affected woman was charged with two counts of theft of a vehicle and bailed to appear in Portland Magistrate Court on May 16.
Detective Sergeant von Tunk said it was a great result.
"We're in the middle of nowhere at Condah," he said.
"People always say where are the police when you need them and we had detectives, uniform officers and Melbourne-based taskforce member all involved in this arrest.
"The whole hour-long drama was filmed by an international tourist who thought it was just sensational," he said.
In another car theft, three youths were arrested and charged after the theft of a vehicle in Heywood's Best Street on Saturday night.
The vehicle was found dumped on Sunday at the Heywood Secondary College.
Detective Sergeant von Tunk said police received information and two offenders were arrested.
"We were in the process of going to a third suspect's home at Milltown when we received a report a second vehicle had been stolen," he said.
"We converged on the third suspect's home and he was arrested and charged with two counts of theft of vehicle."
Two 17-year-old males and a 14-year-old boy were arrested and will appear in court on a later date.
One youth was charged with burglary, theft of vehicle and causing criminal damage during a three-day spate of offending.