Queensland police have charged a 16-year-old boy with murder after the alleged fatal stabbing of 70-year-old woman, Vyleen White, at a shopping centre, west of Brisbane.
The teenager, from Bellbird Park Ipswich, was found and arrested at a unit block also at Bellbird Park shortly before 3pm on Monday. Along with murder, the boy has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and three counts of stealing.
He is due to appear in the Ipswich Children’s Court today.
Four other teenagers have been charged as well, with unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy are also due to appear in court today.
The other 16-year-old, a boy from Goodna, was located and arrested in Riverview around 11am Monday.
One of the 15-year-olds, a boy from Bellbird Park, was arrested at Redbank Plains shortly before 3pm on Monday. The other 15-year-old boy faced court yesterday, charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and was granted bail to reappear again later this month.
Police have said investigations remain ongoing into the homicide at Redbank Plains on Saturday.
White was allegedly fatally stabbed in the chest in Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre’s underground car park around 6pm, in front of her granddaughter.
The woman’s car was allegedly used as a getaway car by the five teenagers and found dumped at Springfield Lakes just 20 minutes later. Police released CCTV footage of the teens getting out of the car after launching a major manhunt and public appeal for help.
White’s daughter, Danice White, spoke to the Courier Mail to express her grief, saying the tragedy should never have happened.
“She was always praying for people, that’s why I am still around,” she said.
“My mum’s faith is very important.”
White’s daughter also said her mum was about to celebrate 50 years of marriage, and now, her father, who is blind, is struggling to come to terms with what happened to his wife.
“We are all pretty numb and shaken up,” White’s daughter said.
Friends of White have described her as a “selfless woman”.
A close family friend, Katherine Jenkins spoke to ABC Radio Brisbane yesterday to explain how White’s death was affecting her family.
“There’s a lot of shock as to what’s happened and they’re going through a time that’s very confusing to come to terms with,” she said, adding that the tragedy is still “relatively fresh for the family”.
Speaking to who White was as a person, Jenkins said, “she loved to help anyone that she came into contact with.”
“She loved her family, her granddaughter, her grandchildren and she was a loved teacher of the community.”
“She touched many hearts around her.”
Jenkins has set up a Go Fund Me page to help the family with life and funeral expenses.